St Joseph's Church

Even though the Town of Podgórze had already been established in 1784, its residents must have found the lack of their own church an annoying setback. It had not been built until 1832: a smallish church with a short, squat tower. It most probably triggered the development plan for what later became the Market Square of Podgórze. The first church was demolished to be replaced in 1905-1909 by a new, three-aisled basilica church designed by Jan Sas-Zubrzycki.

The church with its extremely rich decoration, inspiring even a sensation of surfeit, is an homage to neo-Gothic, a style so popular in the sacred art of the 19th century. The polygonal tower capped with a soaring spire makes a visible reference to the taller tower of St Mary’s. The puzzling word Sustine (Latin for “suffer”, “make penance”) is the emblem that Zubrzycki used to mark the design he submitted to the competition. The interior is equally rich and “Gothic” by programme, with cross-ribbed vaulting and a little circle of chapels surrounding the chancel. Standing beside the church (at ul. Zamojskiego 2) is a classicist inn building dating from the late 18th century which has been adapted for use as a vicarage.