Church of St Martin Complex in Stare Tarnowice

The Church of St Martin in Stare Tarnowice is the oldest church within Tarnowskie Góry. Built of limestone and hidden behind the wall of the former cemetery, it stands in the centre of the old village, right next to the mound that was the seat of its owners. Today it serves as a filial church and cemetery chapel, since a new Neo-Gothic church was built next to it in 1899-1902.

History of the church

The church was most probably built in the late 14th or early 15th century. Its foundation is attributed to the knight Sambor, mentioned in sources between 1369 and 1415, and an inscription in the tower porch gives the year 1400. In 1415 the Bishop of Kraków established a parish here. In 1570-1608 the church belonged to a Lutheran congregation. In 1707 the owners of the village rebuilt it: they added an apse, new vaults and the chapel of St Wenceslas with a burial crypt of the founders' family. In 1749 the chapel of St John of Nepomuk was added on the south.

Architecture and interiors

The body varies in height, with a buttressed Gothic nave, a chancel closed on three sides and a square tower on the west. The tower, the chapel of St Wenceslas and the ridge turret have onion-shaped spires, and the roofs are covered with shingles. The interior is decorated with frescoes from 1707, in the chancel showing scenes from the life of St Martin. The Baroque high altar dates from the mid-17th century, and among the paintings is one of the oldest copies of the image of Our Lady of Piekary, from the second half of the 17th century.

The cemetery and surroundings

The complex consists of the church, a small cemetery and the limestone wall surrounding them, with a small chapel of St George and a niche with a figure of St Urban. The whole is listed in the heritage register. Nearby stands the castle in Stare Tarnowice, and historic workings can be found at the Silver Mine in Tarnowskie Góry.

Practical information

• Address: ulica Niedziałkowskiego, Stare Tarnowice (Tarnowskie Góry).
• This is a filial church; it is worth arranging access with the parish of St Martin.