Grywałd – St Martin of Tours Church

Between 2008 and 2010 took place wide-ranging studies and conservation works in one of the most picturesque medieval wooden churches in Poland. The wooden St Martin of Tours Church in Grywałd (Podhale) with its magnificent mural polychrome from 1618, a 16^th century Gothic triptych representing St Martin and manneristic lateral altars is one of the best known and appreciated historic monuments in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains. After a an extensive conservation and the rescue of the extremely valuable polychrome covering the church’s walls and ceiling, one of the most precious historic monuments was salvaged.

Extensive conservation work covered a full restoration of the wall paintings, all the furnishings and a preventive, periodic impregnation of the roof shingles previously replaced in 2001.

The conservation work performed in recent years in the Grywałd church permits to include it into the group of fully protected medieval wooden historic monuments. The Touristic and Educational Trail Of Lesser Poland Wooden Architecture is widely promoted as the Podhale region undergoes rapid touristic development. The conservation’s result should greatly improve the region’s cultural attractiveness. The church in Grywałd, together with the neighboring churches in Dębno, Łopuszna, Harklowa and Sromowce Niżne, constitutes an attractive enclave of medieval wooden architecture on the Czorsztyn Reservoir and along the Dunajec River. The abovementioned churches also inscribe in the trans-regional programs of the Tatra Euroregion.

Gallery: 
Photos by Jarosław Adamowicz, PhD