Muzeum Parafialne im. Jana Wnęka w Odporyszowie
A small museum by the sanctuary in Odporyszów, a branch of the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów, with sculptures by the folk artist and flying-machine designer Jan Wnęk.
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About the museum
The Muzeum Parafialne im. Jana Wnęka (Jan Wnęk Parish Museum) stands next to the Baroque church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Odporyszów, which is famous for the veneration of the image of Our Lady of Odporyszów. It is a branch of the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów and is looked after by the Vincentian missionary priests (Congregation of the Mission).
In the mid-19th century the parish priest Stanisław Morgenstern, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Rome, decided to enrich the local sanctuary with a group of chapels modelled on the places he had visited. The sculptures for the chapels were made by a self-taught carpenter from the nearby village of Kaczówka, Jan Wnęk, who with the help of several other carpenters created more than two hundred of them. Wnęk is also known as the designer of wings for flying; he died in 1869 after a fall during one of his flight attempts.
For many years the sculptures remained forgotten. In 1978 the sanctuary’s custodian, Fr Henryk Chojnacki, placed them in the church tower, protecting them from destruction and theft. The museum in a new building next to the church was opened in 1991 on the initiative of Fr Henryk Surma, and in 2009 the exhibition was rebuilt. The collections include sculptures on biblical themes, figures and genre scenes, and memorabilia of Jan Wnęk.
Highlights
- largest surviving collection of sculptures by Jan Wnęk
- biblical sculptures and genre scenes from the Odporyszów chapels
- memorabilia of the “Polish Icarus” and his flying machine
- neighbourhood of the Baroque church with the miraculous image of Our Lady
- carved Chapels of the Seven Sorrows of Mary in the nearby grove
Permanent exhibition
- Rzeźby i pamiątki po Janie Wnęku – Surviving sculptures from the Odporyszów chapels, figures and genre scenes, and memorabilia of the folk sculptor and designer of flying machines.
- Founded
- 1991
- Operated by
- Parafia Oczyszczenia Najświętszej Maryi Panny w Odporyszowie (filia Muzeum Diecezjalnego w Tarnowie)
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | The visit date must be arranged by telephone. Near the museum it is worth seeing the Baroque church with the miraculous image of Our Lady and the chapels with sculptures by Jan Wnęk on the nearby hill and in the grove. |
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