Church of St John the Baptist in Przyłęk Szlachecki

The Church of St John the Baptist in Przyłęk Szlachecki is a brick church from 1774-1780 with two bell towers, standing on a rise above the Pilica. Its founder was Justyna Moszczeńska, née Raczyńska, wife of the castellan of Santok, who built it at her own expense.

Predecessors and the founder

A wooden church was built in Przyłęk in 1412 and in the second half of the 16th century it was turned into a Polish Brethren meeting house. The present building was erected in 1774-1780. Justyna Moszczeńska, widow of the castellan of Santok, endowed the parish with 75 morgs of land, funded the high altar and the altar of St Stanislaus, and after her death was buried in the chapel of St Francis Xavier.

Interior

The Late Baroque high altar fills the whole width of the chancel and has columns entwined with plant motifs; at the centre is a painting of the Baptism of Christ, with sculptures of saints at the sides. The more valuable items include a stone font from the earlier wooden church, dating from 1635, sculptures of St Anthony and St Francis of Assisi, and an organ case funded by Fr Kazimierz Gorajski in 1770. Beneath the chapel on the right is a burial crypt.

Nearby

The closest historic sites are the Church of St Nicholas in Nakło and the palace in Nakło, both about five kilometres away.

Practical information

• Address: Przyłęk 38, Zawiercie County.
• The church is in use; the parish sets the rules for visiting the interior.