Marcyporeba: St. Martin’s Church and Pilgrimage Route

If you are considering sacred wooden architecture, local history, and trails when choosing your destination, Marcyporeba offers several distinct points of interest. The village lies on the northern side of the Pasmo Draboża. Highlights include St. Martin’s Church, historical traces in Podlesie, and two routes with different courses.

St. Martin’s Church and wooden architecture

The wooden St. Martin’s Church in Marcyporeba was built in 1670 and consecrated in 1677. Since May 16, 1934, it has been listed under number 599 in the voivodeship register of immovable monuments. It is also one of two wooden churches in the municipality of Brzeźnica on the Wooden Architecture Route. The church’s construction history and its place on the themed route are two distinct aspects: the dates mark its construction and consecration, while the Wooden Architecture Route places it in a broader context.

Inside are a 15th-century Gothic crucifix and a Renaissance baptismal font from 1545. These two furnishings represent their own styles and periods. This sets the history of the furnishings apart from the church’s construction in the 17th century.

Other historical traces in Marcyporeba

Below the church, on “Spod dzwonnicy” Street, stands a wayside shrine featuring depictions of patron saints. The badly damaged 19th-century structure is made of natural-colored sandstone. As a wayside shrine on the street named above, it differs in form and scale from the wooden church above; both are among the village’s sacred landmarks.

In the northern part of Marcyporeba, in the hamlet of Podlesie, the ruins of a former Radwanite fortification were discovered. It existed before the 14th century. The site was intended to monitor a branch of the route from Krakow to Silesia and the Moravian Gate, running along the Soła and Vistula rivers. The historical interpretation of the fortification thus connects Podlesie with a far-reaching trade route, while the ruins themselves recall an earlier structure in the village.

Routes and religious traditions

A pilgrimage route to the Shrine of Our Lady of Kalwaria runs via Kopytówka, Marcyporęba, and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska; its stated length is 15 km. A second route runs from Marcyporęba via the western summit of Trawna Góra, the Brodawka Valley, and Moczarka. It is listed as 14 km long and then joins the yellow trail from Kalwaria Zebrzydowska to Wadowice.

The routes differ in length by just one kilometer. Their classification also depends on the pilgrimage character of one route and the waypoints and connection of the other. Check the current course of both routes before setting out.

Two indulgence celebrations are traditionally held in the parish of Marcyporęba: one in July for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and one in November in honor of St. Martin. No specific dates are given. If you would like to plan your stay around a celebration, check the date in advance.

For the broader travel overview: Nowe Dwory.