History

The first church to be erected on this site was the church of St Peter, built during the second half of the 12th century. Its successor was consecrated by bishop Falęcki in 1564. The existing church was erected in 1761, at the initiative of Michał Kosmowski, the abbot of Trzemeszno, with the consecration ceremony taking place in 1763. A mere three years later, the church was partially destroyed by fire. During the period of the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) as well as towards the end of the 18th century, where further hostilities have taken place in the area, the church saw a period of gradual decline. It has retained the status of a parish church until the 19th century. The building was designed in the Baroque style, its appearance reflecting the overall trend in the wooden ecclesiastical architecture of the region. The conservation and restoration works began in 2004 and were performed in several stages, ending in 2014. As a result, the church was brought back to its original condition, with its structure being strengthened and stabilised. The weatherboard cladding of the church, sacristy and porches as well as battens and counter-battens were replaced, while the existing roof cladding was replaced with wood shingles. In addition, the Baroque cupolas gracing the towers have been restored to their original appearance.

Description

The church, located in the southern part of the village and oriented towards the east, was designed on a rectangular floor plan, its chancel featuring a semi-hexagonal end section. A sacristy and chapel adjoin the northern side of the nave, with a second chapel positioned on the axis of the southern façade. The cuboid main body of the church is dominated by the westwork comprising a pair of towers, their decorative cupolas clad with sheet metal. The main body of the church itself is covered with a gable roof, whereas the side aisles feature mono-pitched roofs. The church is a wooden log structure, its walls clad with weatherboards and reinforced with vertical supports. Inside, the walls are adorned with painted decorations. The front (western) façade features a single entrance positioned on the middle axis of the church and topped with a semi-circular arch. The entire structure of the church rests upon a low, brick foundation. The walls, clad with board and batten siding, are partitioned by simple, horizontal cornices separating the individual storeys of the towers and the middle section of the main body of the church. A single window topped with a semi-circular arch pierces the wall of the front façade at the first-floor level; the uppermost sections of the tower feature paired, louvred bell openings, likewise topped with semi-circular arches. The triangular gable is flanked by two massive towers crowned with tall cupolas with roof lanterns, clad with copper sheeting. Inside, the church follows a basilica layout, the main nave being of the same height as the chancel, while the side aisles are visibly lower. The individual bays are separated by segmental arches supported by chamfered posts with plain capitals. The western part of the interior is occupied by an organ gallery with a semi-hexagonal front section, its parapet adorned with panels carrying the painted images of Saints. The pipe organ casing bears the hallmarks of the Classicist style. Beneath the towers, on the northern side of the church, there is a staircase leading up to the organ gallery and the two-storey towers themselves. Both the round arch and the passages into the chapels are semi-circular in shape. The walls of the church are adorned with geometric and floral wall paintings supplemented by Christological symbols and figural motifs. The segment-headed stained glass windows are large and imposing. The church was designed in the Baroque style.

The fixtures and fittings include the main altarpiece from ca. 1761, incorporating a group of sculptures depicting the Crucifixion scene, as well as the chapel altarpieces from the fourth quarter of the 17th century, designed in a mixture of the Baroque and Classicist styles. The altarpieces inside the naves date back to 1691 and incorporate the paintings depicting St Casimir (southern altarpiece) and the Communion of St. Onuphrius (northern altarpiece). The first of the northern row of pillars, positioned next to the chancel, is adjoined by a pulpit dating back to 1761 and adorned with the sculpture of St Michael perched atop its canopy. A 15th-century stoup hewn from a single block of granite is positioned by the entrance to the church leading through the side porch.

The church may be visited during church service.

compiled by Historical Monument and National Heritage Documentation and Popularisation Department of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz, 26-11-2014 - 8-11-2014.

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, Vol.XI: D.województwo bydgoskie, issue 10: Powiat mogileński, Warsaw 1982.
• Studia z dziejów ziemi mogileńskiej, Cz.Łuczak (ed.), Poznań 1978.
• Record sheet of monuments of architecture, September 1994.