Bodzentyn

Description

 

The little town of Bodzentyn came into being through the urban settlement translocation from the nearby Tarczek by the Cracovian (Kraków) bishop Jan Bodzanta between 1348 and 1355. A Gothic collegiate church was founded by cardinal Zbigniew Oleśnicki in 1450. The local castle was converted into a palatial residence in the late-16th century. Following the administration reform of 1870, Bodzenty lost its municipal rights and became a village. It regained its former municipal status in 1994.

One of the most important monument in Bodzentyn is castle. The origins of the castle in Bodzentyn date back to the 14th century, when the Cracovian bishop Jan Bodzanta had a wooden manor built upon River Psarka. This was replaced by a brick castle with moat commissioned by another Cracovian bishop Florian of Mokrsko, and was connected to the town fortifications. Only walls of the castle with window openings survived till today; some of its window openings still have frames with the Nałęcz coat-of-arms on them. Another element relatively well-preserved is a portal made of red sandstone. Worth to see is an example of specific architecture prevailing in little rural towns is a well-preserved farm of the Czernikiewicz family in 3 Maja Street. 
The mid-17th century the former wooden church was replaced by a brick building of the Church of the Holy Spirit. It functioned as a hospital church till June 1917, when a huge part of the town together with the church were destroyed by fire. Recently, some conservation works have been started on the ruins of the Church of the Holy Spirit. The other monument is the Gothic Collegiate Church of St Stanislaus the Bishop was erected in the years 1440-152, founded by cardinal Zbigniew Oleśnicki. Its nave features late-Renaissance vaults, while the older cross-ribbed vaults are still decorating its sacristy and treasury room. In the presbytery stands a Renaissance alter piece made in 1546, and originally designated for the Wawel Cathedral. Rich decorations of the church interior include Renaissance tombstones, a splendid early-Renaissance painting on wood known as the Bodzentyn Triptych (1508), a Gothic sculpture of Madonna with Child (ca. 1430), and a late-Gothic baptismal font.

The Historic Croft of the Czernikiewicz Family
(Zabytkowa zagroda Czernikiewiczów)
ul. 3 Maja 13
26-010 Bodzentyn
www.mwk.com.pl

Opening hours:
9.00 - 17.00 Tuesday-Sunday, except for legal holidays.

Ticket prices:
-full ticket 2 PLN
-half-price ticket 1 PLN

Tourist Information Point in Nowa Słupia
ul. Świętokrzyska 18
26-006 Nowa Słupia
Telephone: +48 41 317 76 26
www.nowaslupia.pl
www.dymarki.pl

Informations can be obtained in The Regional Center of Tourist Information
ul. Sienkiewicza 29
25-007 Kielce
phone: +48 41 348 00 60
e-mail: informacja@swietokrzyskie.travel