Poland’s Medieval Wooden Church Dębno Hides Stunning Gothic Treasure

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The news in Polish

1. wioska  (f.)
   Mała miejscowość na wsi, mniejsza od miasta i miasteczka. ↩︎
2. drewniany
   Zrobiony z drewna, wykonany z materiału pochodzącego z drzew. ↩︎
3. pochodzić
   Mieć swój początek lub źródło w określonym czasie lub miejscu. ↩︎
4. wiek  (m.)
   Okres stu lat; używany do określania epoki historycznej. ↩︎
5. malowidło  (n.)
   Obraz namalowany na ścianie, suficie lub innej powierzchni. ↩︎
6. ciekawy
   Wzbudzający zainteresowanie, warty uwagi i poznania. ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What century does the church in Dębno date from?

Question 2: Approximately how far is the church from Zakopane?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
wioska  (f.)	village
drewniany	wooden
pochodzić	to originate
wiek  (m.)	century
malowidło  (n.)	painting
ciekawy	interesting

Read the full story

Hidden in a small village in southern Poland, the wooden church of Dębno is one of the country’s most remarkable historic monuments — and, according to local legend, it was built by bandits.

The legend holds that the outlaws were visited by a vision of St Michael the Archangel in the crown of a great oak tree that once stood on the site, accompanied by singing and heavenly light. Whether frightened or genuinely converted, the bandits supposedly raised the church in penance for their sins.

Built from larch and fir wood without a single metal nail, the church dates from the 15th century and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its interior is covered in polychrome paintings in 33 colours — the oldest entirely preserved polychrome decoration on wood in Europe. The paintings coat the ceilings, walls, choir and even the pews.

The church also contains a Gothic triptych altar from the early 16th century, featuring an image of the Virgin Mary and Child at its centre, flanked by St Michael the Archangel and St Catherine of Alexandria.

So precious is the wooden structure that the church is closed to visitors during rain, to prevent the wood from absorbing moisture. Outside, ancient lime and ash trees form a green circle above the shingle roof, and a figure of St Florian has stood above the entrance for centuries.

The village of Dębno itself is small and pastoral, with sheep grazing around the church grounds. A wooden stall nearby sells ice cream made from sheep’s milk. The church was also used as a filming location for a famous Polish film about the legendary outlaw Janosik, directed by Jerzy Passendorfer.

The church is located roughly 40 minutes from Zakopane by road. Free parking is available nearby, and regular minibuses from Nowy Targ bus station stop at Dębno on routes towards Krościenko, Szczawnica and Niedzica.