Ostrów – Churches, Chapel and Village History

• The wooden parish Church of Our Lady, Queen of Poland, houses a painting of the same name by Józef Pochwalski, dating from 1938.
• The brick chapel dates from the early 20th century. The Neo-Gothic building has been renovated.
• Jan Stręk was a sculptor and beekeeper who collected keepsakes and objects related to folk culture. He has since passed away.

A specific work of art is the focus at the parish church: the painting depicts Our Lady, Queen of Poland, and was painted by Józef Pochwalski in 1938. This identifies the subject, artist and year of creation. By contrast, the focus at the brick chapel is its architecture. It is described as Neo-Gothic and renovated, and features several distinctive details.

The chapel’s side façades have tall pointed-arch windows, with buttresses at the corners. The triangular front gable is decorated with an oculus and an arcaded frieze. An oculus is a round opening, while an arcaded frieze consists of a series of arches. The sculpted portal frames a rectangular doorway. An openwork roof turret rises above the pitched roof.

These features give the chapel a different character from the artwork in the parish church: here, the description can be guided by the façade and roof structure, while there it centres on a specific painting. If you want to compare sacred painting with Neo-Gothic architecture, these different points of focus can help you understand each. The dates also refer to different things: the early 20th century is when the chapel was built, while 1938 is the date of the painting.

Jan Stręk collected keepsakes from the past and objects related to folk culture. He was a sculptor and beekeeper. His courtyard, filled with exhibits, attracted great interest; in the past, he welcomed tourists there and guided them through his open-air collection. During these visits, he talked about the village’s history and his own experiences.

These tours are a thing of the past: Stręk has since passed away. The story of his collection brings together objects, village history and personal accounts. This distinguishes it from the architectural and artistic points of interest at the parish church and chapel. For culturally minded travellers, it offers another perspective on how keepsakes and folk culture came together with stories about the village.

Discover more destinations: Iwierzyce, Olchowa, Będziemyśl, Wola Ociecka, Ropczyce and Sędziszów Małopolski.

What does the painting in the parish church depict?

It depicts Our Lady, Queen of Poland. Józef Pochwalski painted it in 1938.

What architectural features does the chapel have?

The features described include pointed-arch windows, corner buttresses, a front gable with an oculus and arcaded frieze, a decorative portal and an openwork roof turret.

What did Jan Stręk do?

He collected keepsakes and objects related to folk culture, was a sculptor and beekeeper, and used to guide tourists through his open-air collection.

For the broader travel overview: Ropczyce-Sędziszów.