Szlaki województw śląskiego i opolskiego

The Roman Catholic Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Brzegwas created on the site of the former Dominican church and monastery in the first half of the 18th century for Jesuits, who arrived in Protestant Brzeg with the mission of restoring Catholicism in the city. Responsible for the architecture of the building was Joseph Frisch, author of, among others, the design of the Jesuit boarding school of St. Joseph in Wrocław. After the dissolution of the Jesuit order at the beginning of the 19th century, the temple became a parish church. In the middle of the century, towers were added to the church and its facade was completed. Impressive paintings with an extremely rich iconographic program, thematically related to the church's invocation, deserve special attention inside the temple. They fill almost all free spaces of walls and vaults: the altar wall, the vault of the main nave, chapels, walls and arches of arcades, or window jambs. The main representation, occupying the entire surface of the nave vault, is the Adoration of the Holy Cross. This scene constitutes an equivalent of the Old Testament scene of the Exaltation of the Serpent located in the presbytery. The entire interior of the church is decorated with polychromes created by the Jesuit Jan Kuben depicting the glory of the Holy Cross, the missions of the Jesuit order, and figures of saints. An interesting element of the church interior decor is the pietà. The figure of Our Lady of Sorrows is a marionette with a moving head and hands. Movable elements allow for its arbitrary positioning and dressing in various occasional outfits. The pietà enjoys a special cult among women expecting a child and young mothers. The temple is one of the objects on the Trail of Brzeg Polychromes. Practical information: Sightseeing is possible before or after mass. Free sightseeing. Sightseeing time: 1 hour. Parking spaces at Zamkowy Square (paid parking zone).