St. Martin Church, Jawiszowice
St Martin’s Church in Jawiszowice is one of the most valuable and best preserved examples of historic wooden church architecture in western Małopolska. Interestingly, the church is entered from a town square named after Father Professor Józef Tischner. The famous philosopher was once a vicar in Jawiszowice for a few months in 1955. The village was first mentioned in written sources in the early 14th century. Mention was made of a parish church that had been operating here for some time, and was already one of the oldest in the area. At that time the village was within the borders of the independent Duchy of Oświęcim. It was only incorporated into the Kingdom of Poland in the 15th century.
Nothing is known about the first church in Jawiszowice. The second one was built at the beginning of the 16th century. It survived until the 80s of the next century. Construction of the third church to have existed on this site, and which survives to this day, was completed in 1692. Extensive renovations and restorations have been required over the years of its existence. This was especially necessary after the devastation caused by World War II as well as the arson attempts of 1968 and 2010.
The church is oriented in accordance with ancient church building tradition. This means that the chancel and altar were built to the east, the direction where Christ is believed to return from at the end of time. The chancel is connected to the nave, which is wider than the chancel. This is the space where the congregation gather. On the west side there is a vestibule, above which the tower rises.
The chancel and the nave were built as a log structure. The walls were therefore made of horizontal logs which were connected in the corners by special notches – carpenter’s locks. The tower has a post and beam structure consisting of vertical posts and horizontal beams. The church’s interior design is very colourful with furnishings of various styles. Apart from Gothic, characteristic of the Middle Ages, one can see Baroque and Rococo items from the 17th and 18th centuries. Many other elements have also been added last two centuries.
Application – a virtual walk around the church
St. Martin’s Church in Jawiszowice consists of the following main parts: nave, chancel, sacristy and the tower over the vestibule. The chancel has a trilateral end. It is about 16 metres high, 20 metres long and 10 metres wide. A sacristy on an elongated rectangular plan was added to it from the north. The tower is topped with a small space known as an izbica- a room intended to house a bell. On the top there is a spherical cupola topped with a cross.
The body of the church is covered by a gable roof with wide eaves. In the middle of its length there is a smaller bell tower. A roof supported by pillars surrounds the church from the middle of the walls. These are arcades. They are covered with shingles – thin overlapping wooden tile-like planks.
There are also shingles on the dome and walls of the tower, on the little bell tower, and on the roof. The chamber is covered with vertical boards. The walls of the church are made of horizontal log beams. The windows have semi-circular peaks. Only the wall at the end of the chancel is decorated with a circular window. The church is entered through the vestibule and through the south wall of the nave. Two side altars are set up on either side of the nave in the corners. The entire vault is decorated with paintwork- upon a vivid blue background runs a wide strip full of floral patterns. There are green twigs with leaves, and red flowers. Medallions with images of saints are placed among them. Inside this frame, stars shine against a blue background, as if in the sky. In the centre of the vault, the scene of Pentecost is painted. Tongues of fire and a white dove hover above the twelve apostles.
The orange walls of the nave are decorated with green floral patterns at the top and bottom. Between the nave and the presbytery runs at the top a wooden beam called the cross beam, which is adorned with Baroque carvings of the Crucifixion scene. On one side of Christ stands the Virgin Mary, on the other Mary Magdalene. St John is kneeling, embracing the cross. A gilded inscription is engraved on the beam: Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
The entire back wall of the presbytery is occupied by the magnificent Baroque main altar. It is a three-tier arrangement of sculptures, ornamental branches, columns and paintings. In the centre is the image of Our Lady of the Snows and Jesus Christ, with gilded columns on either side. Between them, on the left, there is the figure of St Peter with keys, and on the right – St Paul with a sword. The whole altar is crowned with the image of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The sumptuous altar was mainly painted in green, gold and maroon.
The walls of the chancel are orange. The vault is filled with a painted blue sky full of golden stars. In the middle there is a scene of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary. She is kneeling with her hands raised. Next to her, Jesus lifts a crown. God the Father watches over them in the form of an old man with a long grey beard. In each of the four corners of the painting, there is an image of one of the Evangelists in a golden frame. Botanical motifs interspersed along the edges of the ceiling complete the wonderful design.
The interior of the church is filled with numerous sculptures and paintings. They depict saints and scenes from the Holy Scriptures.
Among them, the sculpture known as a “Pieta” is the oldest, dating back to the 14th century. It is located on the northern wall of the chancel. It is 90 centimetres high and depicts a seated Mary wearing a golden robe and a blue cloak, cradling in her lap the dead body of Jesus. His head rests on her right shoulder. The Virgin Mary tenderly embraces her son. Her right hand touches the bloody wound in his chest. Mary’s plump oval face is framed by a blue veil. Mary’s eyes are large and clear, her lips red, her cheeks flushed. The pale body of Christ has the face and proportions of an adult, but the size of a young child. He has brown hair and a beard. A crown of thorns is stuck into his head, from under which blood oozes. A wrinkled white band covers the otherwise naked Christ’s hips.
