ZAKRZEWO KOŚCIELNE - St Peter and St Paul the Apostles Church

According to the oldest records available to historians, the town of Zakrzewo boasted a church already in the 14th century. However, the research shows that the history of the worship could have started even in the 12th century. The preserved documents show that the church was consecrated around 1540.

3D WALK History

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CHURCH

IN ZAKRZEWO KOŚCIELNE

According to the oldest records available to historians, the town of Zakrzewo boasted a church already in the 14th century. However, the research shows that the history of the worship could have started even in the 12th century. The preserved documents show that the church was consecrated around 1540. Unfortunately, in the 15th century, it was destroyed and a new building was erected in its place. It is the building which lasted until nowadays, even though it had to undergo several refurbishments and repairs. The wooden church, almost six centuries old, is one of the finest gems of the sacred architecture in the region of Płock.

The wooden church has a log structure, reinforced with vertical beams and vertical weather-boarding. It has one nave with a narrower presbytery, a side sacristy and two porches (in the front and on the side). In accordance with the old tradition, the church is oriented. The roof of the building is covered with shingles, it is crowned with an octagonal turret topped with a tin tented roof and a lantern. Right next to the church there is a wooden, square plan campanile built in the 18th century.

The moment the visitors enter the church, its interior will immediately put them in the mood of contemplation and peace. The dark wood walls contrasting with glittering ornaments of the altars and with candle lights create this climate of separation from the outside world.

The main altar dates back to 1640. An attentive eye will recognize among the sculptures St Antoninus, St Albert the Great, St Benedict and St Augustine. However, it is the painting of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary that remains the central point. The image of the church’s founder, Marcin Lasocki, painted on a metal sheet is particularly interesting. It is a coffin portrait, a way of remembering a diseased important personality which was characteristic for Polish gentry art. This way, such a person was able to participate in his/her own burial. It is worth recalling that in the Baroque times the funeral of an important person could last several days and be very lavish. This is the reason it was called pompa funebris, meaning in Greek “a funeral ceremony”. Coffin portraits were usually painted on tin sheets having the shape of the deceased person’s coffin side. It was then placed on a catafalque and allowed “to admire” the beautiful ceremony organised in his/her honour. When admiring the coffin portrait of Marcin Lasocki, it is worth paying attention to the marble epitaph.

Next to the stunning church, Zakrzewo has yet another gem it can boast. Not far from the village, there a unique natural area. It is a protected natural reserve called “Wyspy Zakrzewskie” /the Zakrzewo Islands/. This scenic place is a breeding refuge for birds: terns, gulls and little ringed plovers. After visiting the church, it is worth going there with a camera or plan a canoeing trip in the vicinity.