Description of the attraction
The Church of St. Wojciech on the territory of modern Kielce appeared even before the foundation of the city. We can say that the city itself began with the construction of this temple. An interesting legend is connected with the appearance of this church. It is said that earlier on the place where Kielce now stands, there is a forest rich in game. Rich gentlemen loved to hunt here. Once the son of King Boleslav the Brave Mieszko got lost and lay down to rest in a picturesque meadow. He had a terrible dream in which enemies tried to poison him. Salvation came from the side of Saint Wojciech, armed with a staff, who appeared next to Mieszko and drew an invisible line on the ground that separated the sleeping man from the enemies. The line marked by the staff suddenly became a resounding stream. When the prince woke up, he found a trickle next to him, unknown how it appeared. It was not without the intervention of higher powers, Mieszko decided, and founded a temple here in honor of his savior and the city of Kielce.
The Church of St. Wojciech was erected in the 10th century. The wooden church, around which people began to be buried, stood intact until the 18th century. Neither fires nor wars did not affect its appearance in any way. It was only in 1763 that Canon Jan Rogall initiated the construction of a new stone church. The church was made in a baroque manner. In 1885, under the direction of the architect Francis Xavier Kowalski, the temple was rebuilt and given the look that we see today.
Three images painted by Jan Styka have been preserved in the interior of the church since 1889. This is the fresco of the main altar "The Multiplication of Bread" and two paintings in the side altar - "Saint Rosalia" and "Saint Francis".
