Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Olsztyn

The Church of St John the Baptist in Olsztyn near Częstochowa is a late Baroque church from the 18th century, built outside the town after a fire, largely from the stone of a dismantled castle.

Construction

The previous, wooden church burned down in a fire that destroyed the whole town. The parish priest decided to build a new, brick one outside the built-up area. Work began in 1719, and the heritage register dates the construction to 1722-1726. The founder was the starost of Olsztyn, Jerzy Dominik Lubomirski, who allowed the walls of the castle in Olsztyn to be used. The furnishings were funded by his successor Wojciech Męciński. The consecration took place in 1729.

The church is single-nave, with two side chapels, on a cross plan. In the late Baroque high altar with six columns hangs a painting of the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, and the church has five richly decorated altars.

Crypt

There are three coffins in the crypt. In one lies the well-preserved, mummified body of an officer from the time of the Bar Confederation, in the second a woman in a black bonnet, and in the third Father Joachim Myszkierski. Next to the church lies the Market Square in Olsztyn.

Practical information

• Address: Olsztyn near Częstochowa, ulica Kościelna
• A parish church; the parish provides information about visiting the interior and the crypt