Ruins of the Church of St Bartholomew in Grodziec

The ruins of the Church of St Bartholomew in Grodziec are the remains of a church founded in the 16th century by the Grodziecki family. The chancel with its apse, the chancel arch and the foundations survive, and the whole stands in a park, about 70 metres west of the castle. The site is listed in the heritage register.

From a wooden church to the church of 1579

The first, probably wooden, church in Grodziec was built around the middle of the 15th century. The second was founded by Henryk Grodziecki and his brother Jan: construction was completed in 1579 and probably began in 1569. According to a visitation record of 1652, the church was not consecrated. The church was taken over by Protestants, and Catholics regained it in 1654. In the 18th century the building was remodelled, and in 1899 it underwent a thorough renovation.

What it looked like and what happened to it

The church was built of stone and brick. Buttresses reinforced the walls, the roof was covered with shingles, and by the porch stood a wooden tower with a Baroque helm and lantern. A painted wooden gallery ran along the walls, and there was an organ in the choir loft. Local landowners were buried in the crypts beneath the apse; research in 1984 uncovered the remains of five people.

A new parish church was built in 1908-1910 on what is now Kościelna Street, and the old one fell into ruin. In 1927 the tower and the nave were pulled down. The furnishings, including the Renaissance tombstone of Henryk Grodziecki from 1587, were moved to the new church; part of the collections went to the museum in Skoczów.

The ruin today

In 1987 conservation work was carried out and a roof was built over the ruin. The site was tidied and opened to visitors thanks to local volunteers. On the wall hangs a plaque commemorating the baptism of the inventor Józef Bożek in 1782. This is a permanent ruin, so there are no interiors to visit. Right next to it stands Grodziec Castle, which is easy to combine with a view of the ruins in a single visit.

Practical information

• Address: Grodziec 8, Jasienica municipality.
• The ruin is in the park by the castle, in open terrain.
• It is worth checking the state of the safety measures and the accessibility of the site before a visit on the municipality's website or that of the museum in the castle.