
Szamotuły is a county town, situated 42 north-west of Poznań.
The church, situated not far from the marketplace, featuring two towering gables, ranks among the most interesting gothic sacral buildings in Wielkopolska. Founded by the brothers Dobrogost and Wincenty Świdwa-Szamotulski and built 1423–1431, it replaced an earlier wooden structure. Initially single-nave, the temple was redeveloped in 16th century by Łukasz Górka.
The interior of this beautiful three-nave temple, featuring a basilica layout, comprises certain historical monuments of interest, with the excelling unique gothic crucifix from around 1370, placed on the rood beam. Underneath it, on the northern pillar, there is an interesting renaissance tombstone of Jakub Rokossowski, Grand Treasurer of the Crown, made circa 1580 by Hieronim Canavesi, the well-known artist of Italian origin who was active in Poland. The central section of a late-renaissance main altar holds a painting featuring the scene of Deposition from the Cross by Luca Giordano. A beautifully embellished sanctuary lamp, donated by King John Casimir, is placed in front of it.
A valuable bronze headstone of the last of the Szamotulski family, Andrzej, is placed on the southern nave’s wall; it was made by the famous Vischer atelier in Nuremberg. Similarly to the Poznań cathedral headstones, it was pillaged by the Nazis during World War 2 and long deemed lost afterwards. Discovered in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage museum storerooms, it returned home in early 1990s.
The southern nave’s side altar is the location of a miraculous icon of Our Lady of Consolation, the Lady of Szamotuły. It is actually a Ruthenian icon from 1st half of 17th century, painted after the effigy of Our Lady (Theotokos) of Kazan. This benevolent image, the target of numerous pilgrimages, was crowned with papal crows in 1970. A sculpture of Christ by the Danish sculptor Bert Thorvaldsen is positioned in the northern nave.
Address:
ul. Kapłańska 12
64-500 Szamotuły
tel. +48 61 292 02 82