European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe Investing in rural areas. WOODEN CONSTRUCTION ROUTE The project is co-financed from the funds of the European Union Scheme III of the Technical Assistance for the Rural Development Programme for the years 2007–2013. The Rural Development Programme managing institution for the years 2007–2013: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Publication prepared to the order of the Opolskie Voivodeship. WOODEN CONSTRUCTION ROUTE ooden monuments are a great tourist attraction of the Opole Province. This guide includes information W on selected objects located mostly in the north-east- ern part of the Opole region. The route of wooden sacral architecture is 80 kilometres long and allows you to visit 12 towns. It leads through the beautiful land of Opole Silesia, from Opole to Olesno. On your way you will have a chance to see wooden churches in Czarnowąsy, Dobrzeń Wielki, Kolanowice, Laskowice, Bierdzany, Lasowice Wielkie, Lasowice Małe, Chocianowice, Stare Olesno and Wędrynia. This route is adapted both to cycling tourism and travelling by car or coach. Only in several places, cyclists can use shortcuts. However, old wooden churches located on the route are only a fraction of what Opole Silesia has to offer. The total number of wooden historical churches in the region amounts nearly to 70. There are present practically in all counties, but most of them are located within the region of Kluczborsk and Oleskie counties. They are a great tourist attraction of the region. Wooden churches en- chant with their appearance, artistry of furnishing and history. Until the 18th century, the number of wooden churches in Opole Silesia was constantly growing. Back then, there were up 120 such structures. Until the half of the 20th century, less than 70 remained. The ones that have been preserved until today originate usually from the 17th and the 18th century. The oldest churches are said to be the ones in: Uszyce (1517), Olesno (1518), Miechów (1529) and Brzezinki (1550). You are welcome to visit wooden monuments of the Opole Province! 3 3 Opole Village Museum ach history enthusiast who wants to get to know wooden monuments of the Opole region cannot miss Opole Vil- E lage Museum. Visiting this place is preferably best during organized art events and festivals. The walking paths of the mu- seum come alive then not only because of the visitors. You can taste the bread baked in the original furnace and get to know the history of Opole region closely. During such events the fire in the forge is lit and you can try forging iron yourself. In the pre-Christmas period workshops are organized both related to making Christmas decorations and decorating ‘kroszonkas’ typi- cal for this region of Poland. Within the museum there are 48 facilities mainly presenting wooden architecture. Nine farmsteads have been created. Huts are richly equipped with original household equipment used by the inhabitants of Opole and Olesz regions. In one of the build- ings there is a store in which you can see well preserved pre-war packagings of the products. When visiting the museum you can sense the spirit of past times thanks to the buildings moved here - board by board - from vari- ous places of the region. Several of then deserve a special atten- tion. Undoubtedly these include: the church, school, tower, inn, forge, two wind turbines and millwheel. The church of St. Catherine has been transferred here from Gręboszów close to Namysłów in the 1970s of the 20th cen- tury. The temple was built in 1613 thanks to Cyprian Kotuliński 4 Flourishing Opolskie Region – Wooden construction route 5 and it belonged to Evangelicals. Kotuliński owned the Gręboszów village. In 1653 the temple was taken by the Catholics and was rebuilt many times. When you are inside, attention should be paid to the altar made of polychromed, golden and sil- vered wood. In the centre you can see the scenes from the life of Catherine of Alexandria. On the altar cornice there is an in- scription that says that the altar was erected in 1632 by Georg Skopek, the Opole Province dig- nitary of the Catholic Church. On the walls there are paintings of the saints and epitaphs, some sculpted with protruding hands coming from an evangelical cemetery chapel in Ligota Górna that dates back to 1786-1882. They are devoted to prematurely deceased children. Attention should also be paid to a patron’s pew where the benefactor used to sit. It comes from the church in Gierałcice. When visiting the monument you should go to the sacristy where there is an ornamented cabinet for liturgical dresses. Another wooden building worth paying attention to is a mill- wheel and the mill in Stare Siołkowice. The mill was driven by a wooden backhoe wheel with the diameter of 470 cm which was caused by the low course of the river not voluminous with wa- ter. In XIX c. Siołkowice mill was inherited in Pogrzebów family. 5 In the inter-war period the last person from Pogrzebów family transferred it to his son-in-law Paweł Boronowski. The mill was stopped to be used in ca. 1950 as a consequence of administra- tive prohibitions. The water mill is picturesquely located over the watercourse. In the inside all necessary devices are located and over the wheel is two-sloped roof. Sometimes, during special shows of mill opera- tion, characteristic noises of gear wheel and crunching of water wheel can be heard. In the Museum of Opole Village you cannot miss, among others: Forge of Ziemiełowice from 1726, Cottage of Sternalice, in which the former rural school was organized or Koźlak (windmills, one from Grotowice and the second from Dobrzeń Wielki). 50°40’58”N ul. Wrocławska 174 17°51’44”E 46-020 Opole phone: 77 457 23 49 www.muzeumwsiopolskiej.pl e-mail: [email protected] 6 Flourishing Opolskie Region – Wooden construction route 7 7 Church of St. Jadwiga of Silesia in Bierdzany the place of the present church, there was a different one, built in 1410, of St. Valentine. The present temple At was erected in 1711. The church belongs to the monu- ments of wooden sacral architecture that stand out with rich decorations. During the church renovation in 1961, a rich polychrome was uncovered. It was hidden under five layers of paint. It presents the creation of the world and the passion of the savior. We can also see the scene in the paradise, when Adam and Eve wonder whether to pick the apple from the tree of knowledge. On the choir loft railing, there are images of the apostles, and on the ceiling, of the saints and prophets. In the presbytery, we have the presentation of St. Mary’s Ado- ration, saints Anna, Maria, Joseph, and Sebastian. We can see here, among others, the “Salve Regina” hymn painted. At one of the paintings, there is a scene of Mother Mary giving a scapular. Those who carry it are protected, anything wrong happens to them. On the other hand, for those who do not carry the scapu- lar, bad things happen. One of the painted characters is drown- ing, and the other is hanging on the gallows. Being in the church, you should approach the side door and look at the picture of the Bierdzań death, talking to a merchant. The death points at an hour- glass showing the passing time. The image is reflected in the proverb “You look like the Bierdzań death”, recorded by Józef Lompa in his “The new book of Polish proverbs”. The church is oriented, with a cog structure. On the roof of the church, there is a hex- agonal tower for a signature. The tower with a starling, of an independent, pole struc- ture, shuttered with boards. Originally, the tower roof had the form of a tent, and in 1930 it was rebuilt, shaped into a bulbous helmet. 8 Flourishing Opolskie Region – Wooden construction route 9 50°48’53.46”N Bierdzany, ul. Szkolna 18° 9’33.20”E Parish: ul. Stawowa 2 46-046 Ligota Turawska phone: 77 421 30 94 e-mail: [email protected] 9 Church of St. Anna in Czarnowąsy he church was built between 1684-88 by Krzysztof Młyński from Poręba on the initiative of Baltazar Gebera. T This was a pilgrimage church. There is a legend connected to its early years. The then parish priest appointed another place for the construction of the tem- ple on the other side of the street. When he already gathered all materials, in the circumstances not explained, they were moved to the place where the temple is now. The parish-priest was rigid for a long time and he moved the material back to the place he originally indicated many times. Even the bishop of Wrocław was supposed to intervene by issuing a decree approving the location of the church at a previous place. The temple burnt on 19 August 2005 but after two years it was rebuilt. The present church constitute a reconstruction of the original one and it has no monumental character. It was built with bricks and then covered in wood. During the works one re- signed from the small floor and steps over the vestibule. The new main altar is a baroque architecture. The figure of its patron St. Anna has been placed in it (on the day of the fire it was not in the church and thus survived). Special attention should be paid to the figure of St. Barbara In the main nave which was destroyed during the fire but then renovated by the specialists.