The Church of All Saints in Blizno

Location on the map

The Church of All Saints in Blizno.

The church is located in Blizno- a village in southwest part of Podkarpackie Voivodeship

History

 

The Church of All Saints in Blizno was built in the first half 15th century. It is one of the oldest wooden churches in Poland. The exact age of this church isn’t known because any detailed dendrochronological research weren’t done.

ArchitectureThe church is built of fir beams. Initially, it was built in a style characteristic for medieval carpentry - stromal construction. To the west of the building there is a massive belfry with hanging starling. The whole bulding is covered in shingles.The area of the church is surrounded by a wooden fence with brick shrines.

Useful information1. According to thelocal tradition, the church, located on a hill and surrounded by a wooden palisade defended itself against the Tatars in 1624. inside, the residents were safe. During the assault, the Tatars abducted 60 people into slavery .On the place of the present chapel of St. Michael, on a hill located about 1.5 kilometers east of the church, the Tatars were miraculously driven out by the army under the command of the St. Michael the Archangel. The acquitted prisoners returned safe and sound to their homes. Out of gratitude for saving, they built the chapel of St. Michael.

2. In the second half of the eighteenth century, the bishop of Przemysl brought to the hill of St. Michael Capuchins, who built a church there. After the liquidation of the monastery by the Austrian invader, the main altar was transferred to the church in Humniska and the rest of church equipment to churches in Izdebki and Blizne. Tradition says that the inn in Ujazdy was built of one of the church bricks and her builder gone blind. People used to say that it was God's punishment.

Useful information

Useful information3. The extraordinary history is also associated with the statue of Our Lady Queen Full of Grace, which is located in the side altar of the All Saints’ Church in Blizne. Centuries ago it was a part of the late Gothic altar. When in the seventeenth century the altar was changed , the statue was placed on the nearest pedestal. During the subsequent restoration of the temple the figure was brought on the attic. Some time later, a certain inhabitant of Blizne dreamed that in the attic of the church there is a statue of Our Lady, which should be placed in a hollow in a tree next to her house. The woman told the dream to the priest. The figure was solemnly moved and placed in a hollow. One day, the tree was on fire because of candles, posed in front of the statue. Miraculously surviving statue was placed in the chapel. When in the 70s the church was being repaired, art historians drew attention to the figure in the chapel. It turned out that it is extremely valuable.