Ruins of St Stanislaus' Church in Żarki

The ruins of St Stanislaus' Church in Żarki are the remains of a Baroque church from the second half of the 18th century, built of quarry limestone on Laskowiec hill. They are entered in the heritage register and open to everyone.

From a roadside chapel to a ruin

The church was built before 1782 on the site of a wooden roadside chapel, mentioned in 1595, 1748 and 1763, by an important trade route from Kraków to Częstochowa. Since the middle of the 19th century, for unknown reasons, it has remained a permanent ruin. In 1982-1983 members of the Society of Friends of Żarki cleared it of rubble, and archaeological research revealed burials from the second half of the 15th century. In 1989 gaps in the walls were filled and their crown was secured.

What remains

From the remains of the walls it can be seen that this was a small, single-nave church with a chancel closed on three sides, with three altars and two entrances. The interior was lit by three or four windows. Next to the ruins are a car park, information boards and tables with benches, and from the hill one can see the Jurassic cuesta and the broad Warta ice-marginal valley.

Practical information

• An outdoor site, with no tickets, located on Laskowiec hill above Żarki.
• It is a permanent ruin, so view it from ground level and do not climb the walls.
• Nearby: the Museum of Old Crafts in Żarki and Mirów Castle.