Sowno: Renaissance Art and the History of Podlesie

Sowno brings together the Renaissance furnishings of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, the history of the hunting residence in Podlesie, and a monument in the town center. These themes range from 16th-century artistic craftsmanship to a lost residence and a memorial to the First World War.

Church of St. Mary Magdalene and Renaissance Art

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sowno contains valuable historical furnishings from the residence. The Renaissance altar was brought to the village church in 1720. Nuremberg woodcarvers made the Renaissance altar and the pulpit with polychrome wooden sculptures in the workshop of Peter Schultz in the 16th century. A bas-relief of the court jester Mikołaj Hinze is also in the church. The historical references found there thus range from Renaissance furnishings to a court jester depicted by name.

Podlesie and the Former Hunting Residence

Podlesie is now an integral part of Sowno and is associated with the history of Duke Jan Fryderyk’s hunting residence from the second half of the 16th century. The wooden residence has not survived, but historical furnishings from it are in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Sowno therefore brings together two distinct traces of the residence’s history: the site that no longer exists and the objects preserved from it.

The Augsburg art collector F. Hainhofer, who visited the palace in Podlesie, described it as having two stories. According to his account, a chapel was on the ground floor, with chambers above. A tower also rose above the roof. The description gives a clear idea of the layout of the former hunting residence, but it remains attributed to Hainhofer’s account.

A Monument in the Center of Sowno

At a road junction in the center of Sowno, a monument commemorates German soldiers who fell on the fronts of the First World War. Its dedication marks a different historical focus from the church’s Renaissance art and the history of the hunting residence: here, the fallen are commemorated.

Stargard: Distinct Cultural and Route Themes

In Stargard, the Church of St. Mary and the medieval town walls were recognized as a “Monument of History” by an ordinance of the President of the Republic of Poland dated September 17, 2010. The town walls are among the few examples of medieval fortifications in West Pomerania preserved almost along their entire length, with defensive gates and bastions. The Church of St. Mary and the fortifications thus offer a distinct historical focus in Stargard.

A museum exhibition in Stargard covers the city’s history from its founding in the 13th century to the beginning of the 18th century. The “In the Land of the Griffin” Historical Festival is considered an event for whole families, history enthusiasts, and people looking to spend an active weekend in June. Stargard thus brings together historical themes and events with different focuses.

The “Stargard – Jewel of Pomerania” walking route runs through the Old Town and is about 3 kilometers long. The red cycling route “Through the Drumlins of the Stargard Region” takes a different path: from Stargard, it passes through Lipnik, Zieleniewo, Morzyczyn, Grzędzice, Żarowo, Rogowo, and Lubowo before returning to Stargard. While the walking route is characterized by its approximate length and the Old Town, the cycling route is described by the places it passes through and its return to Stargard.

Discover more destinations: Stargard Szczeciński, Brudzewice, Koszewko, Oświno, Rogowo, Insko, Dobrzany, Morzyczyn.

For the broader travel overview: Stargard.