Church of Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist and Saint Lawrence the Martyr

Church of Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist and Saint Lawrence the Martyr at Stary Rynek 22 is the oldest parish and oldest church in Pabianice. It stands several dozen metres from the Palace of the Kraków Chapter, which is no coincidence - it was the Kraków chapter that financed the construction of the present church.

From wooden church to brick basilica

The origins of the parish date to the Middle Ages - a wooden church from the 14th century once stood in this place. In 1432, an event of more than local significance occurred here: an alliance was formed between King Władysław Jagiełło and representatives of the Czech Hussites. After the great fire of Pabianice in 1532, another wooden church was erected, which lasted only several dozen years.

The present brick building was erected in the years 1583-1588 at the commission of the Kraków Chapter. The architect was Ambroży Włoch from Płock, who modelled the design on Płock cathedral. The church was formally consecrated on 15 November 1588.

Architecture

The building takes the form of a three-nave basilica on a Latin cross plan, oriented and ending in an apse. The style combines elements from different periods: Romanesque in the apse, Gothic in the tower and buttresses, Renaissance in the attics and transept arms. The tower is square in its lower sections and higher up transitions into an octagonal form, crowned with a pointed spire added in 1865.

The church was destroyed by fire several times - in the years 1697, 1760 and 1823 - which explains why the present structure bears traces of successive rebuilds. The facade was restored in the years 2010-2011.

Interior

The interior is decorated in Baroque style from the 17th and 18th centuries - with marble floors, numerous altars and silver candelabra added by clerics. It also contains a memorial tablet dedicated to Władysław Herman. The church is listed on the register of monuments as a sacred building.

Surroundings

The church stands at Stary Rynek, in the very centre of Pabianice, in the vicinity of the Pabianice City Museum. Several hundred metres further, at Zamkowa, stands the Protestant Church of Saint Peter and Paul - it is worth viewing both churches on a single walk through the old part of the city.

Practical information

• Address: Stary Rynek 22, Pabianice
• Getting there: Pabianice city centre, convenient access by public transport
• What to expect: a historic brick basilica from the 16th century with Baroque interior, surrounded by Stary Rynek
• Mass times: weekdays 8:00 and 18:00, Sundays and feast days 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, 11:30, 18:00 - check before visiting on the parish website