MICHALICE - Church of St. Michael the Archangel
In the church, there are some equally interesting paintings on the walls. You will see twelve scenes, although not all of them have been preserved in good condition. Painted decorations can be also find on the entrance from the presbytery to the sacristy and from the porch to the church. Doorframes and doors are also decorated with polychrome.
3D WalkHistory
Church
IN MICHALICE
The oldest church in Michalice was built already in the 13th century. The one we are inviting you to visit, was erected in the same place in 1614. The wooden, oriented church with a log structure, was built of linden and pine planks on foundations made of stone. The adjacent tower topped with onion-shaped roof and an octagonal lantern also draws our attention.
Even though from the outside the church may seem austere, inside it delights visitors with rich decorations and furnishings. A beautiful, lacunar ceiling is embellished with polychrome paintings executed in tempera on chalk and glue ground. It is divided into two parts: the first one is decorated with vegetal ornaments and the second one has 11 rows of panels. Among them, there are images of plants, saints and scenes with their participation as well as coats of arms of well-known families. Between the panels, there are also decorations made of vegetal and animal patterns. Even if you may get a neck pain (from craning your neck), we advise you to take a careful look at this stunning example of sacred art.
However, this is not all. In the church, there are some equally interesting paintings on the walls. You will see twelve scenes, although not all of them have been preserved in good condition. Painted decorations can be also find on the entrance from the presbytery to the sacristy and from the porch to the church. Doorframes and doors are also decorated with polychrome.
Scenes from the Old and New Testament are presented on the walls. Among them, we can find: the fall of the rebel angels; Lot escaping Sodom, which is being destroyed; Jacob’s dream, in which God shows him the ladder to Heaven; the army of the Maccabees or the annunciation. It is interesting to note that among these scenes we can also find didactic images such as the encouragement to read. For centuries, churches have been the place where one was supposed to learn not only from the altar, but also from all other elements: architecture, decorations, furnishings’ details. Certainly, the place of worship in Michalice has been like an open, colourful book teaching about God’s miracles and Biblical parables.
The colourful polychromies were executed in the 17th century. In the western part of the nave, it is worth paying attention to the wooden gallery dating back from 1668 together with the added triforium from the 18th century. The altars date back from 1668 and 1699, the pulpit and the baptismal font date from the 18th century, just like the organ.