Church of St Peter and St Paul the Apostles in Koty

The Church of St Peter and St Paul the Apostles in Koty is a Baroque parish church from 1714-1715, standing in Tworóg municipality in Tarnowskie Góry County. It is surrounded by a cemetery with a stone Passion group.

The parish and construction

Koty formerly belonged to the parish of Wielowieś in the Duchy of Toszek. The parish at the wooden church was established on 13 June 1687 by Bishop Karl Franz Neander and founded by Count Jan Franciszek de Verdugo. The present church, of stone and brick, was built next to the old wooden one by his son Leopold de Verdugo in 1714-1715. In the 19th century the church was a branch of the parish in Tworóg, and an independent parish in Koty was restored in 1920.

Repairs

In the 18th century a cracked vault limited the use of the church, and the repair was carried out by Count Franciszek Józef de Colonna. In 1823 the tower, threatened with collapse, was repaired, in 1907-1908 the shingles were replaced with roof tiles, and in 1964 the interior and the side altars were renovated for the 250th anniversary of the church. In 1959 new bells were hung.

Surroundings

The church is surrounded by a cemetery with an imposing stone Passion group. By the wall stands a stone cross with the Latin inscription “STAT CRUX DUM VOLVITUR ORBIS”. The church is entered in the heritage register. In the municipality it is also worth seeing the Palace in Tworóg.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Szkolna 4, Koty.
• It is a working parish church of the Gliwice diocese; opening hours and service times are given by the parish.
• The interior is not visited like a museum, so keep quiet during services.