"Church of Our Lady on Piasek" Wroclaw Things to Do Tip by german_eagle

The dominating structure on Sand Island (Wyspa Piasek) is the former Augustine convent with the church of Our Lady on Piasek. The convent is turned into the University Library but the church is still a church.

Our Lady on Piasek is one of the most impressive Gothic churches in Wroclaw, erected 1334 - 1425. Particularly beautiful are the high and elegant vaulted ceilings on tall and slim pillars. The many carved wooden altars are from several churches all over Silesia. The expressive, stained glass windows are modern works by an artist from Warszawa.

This church is also a pilgrim's place: the chapel on the southern side hosts the icon of the Victorious Madonna (16th century), brought to Wroclaw from Mariampol in the Ukraine after WWII. It is adored by the orthodox people in Wroclaw. And quite excessively IMO. I witnessed a somehow weird scene (to me): the decoration of the chapel alone is odd, looked more like Christmas decoration to me. The priest who celebrated the mass that was held there didn't mind the constant chatter of attendees, neither did he complain about the annoying flashlight from the digital cameras. Maybe it was because the chapel is dedicated to the blind and deaf? I dunno.

Directions: Wyspa Piasek.