St. James's Church

Toruń, Poland

St. James's church (often mistakenly called St Jacob's), a basilica from the 14th century, with monumental wall paintings and Gothic stalls. The unique character of the church is determined by a myriad of decorations, detail styles and multicolour glazed brick. In the New Market Square, the church can be entered through the Gothic gate with a pillar and the Baroque figure of St. James, the patron.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 14th century
Category: Religious sites in Poland

More Information

www.visittorun.pl

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Yurii Shysh (4 years ago)
St. Jacob’s Church is located near the New Market Square and it is rightly considered the pearl of medieval Torun. It was built in the first half of the 14th century. The unique architectural solution (this is the only basilica in Torun) and the wonderful external and internal decorations of the church, including multicolored glazed bricks, make it one of the most beautiful churches in the city. You can enter the church through the remarkable Gothic gate with a column crowned with a figure of St. Jacob. The interior is decorated with outstanding mediaeval polychromies dated even to XIV century, the main altar (1731) is a unique composition of baroque ornaments and gothic statues of saints and a portraits of St Jacob and the Holy Trinity. Every July, the church hosts a cheerful feast in memory of St. Jacob and it is a bicycle rally! The event begins in Spanish Santiago de Compostela, where the tomb of St. Jacob is located, and ends at the other end of Europe - in Torun. The best thing is that you don’t have to travel across the whole continent - a certificate of participation in a bike ride is issued to everyone who has made at least one lap around the St. Jacob’s church. Everyone is encouraged to take part in free art classes under the guidance of teachers from the Center for the Arts and capture the beauty of the church on canvas. The event is accompanied with concerts and other performances all day long and there is a fireworks show in the end.
Robert R (4 years ago)
Place to see and learn in this beautiful city
Robert Cooke (4 years ago)
In a city full of impressive buildings this is up here. It's a shame it was closed off when I visited.
Chris Chalko (5 years ago)
If you like seeing some of Europe's fabulous churches, this another to add to your list.
Mad Ness (6 years ago)
Beautiful church
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Gravensteen

The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.

In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.