LIPNICA MUROWANA
Church of St Leonard
(Poland, Małopolskie Province, Bocheń District)

The church is a valuable example of medieval Gothic carpentry construction, in an archaic towerless form.

It was built at the end of the 15th century, of mortise and tenon (log) construction, single-nave, with a triangularly closed chancel, and is surrounded by open eaves (17th or 18th century). The church is covered by a soaring gable roof with a single ridgepole based on orchid truss with carpentry marks. The ave-bell turret is topped with a Baroque dome.

A Gothic carpentry portal with a three-leaf arch leads into the interior decorated with multi-phase painting. On the ceiling of the nave with entablature, there is a decoration referring to the patrons from around 1500; on the entablature, there is an illusionistic motif of coffers (17th century); in the chancel, there are scenes of the Last Judgement, the Crucifixion, the Last Supper and St. Simon of Lipnica in front of the Virgin Mary (1689). On the walls of the nave, a passion cycle, and on the sill of the music choir, illustrations of the Decamortise and tenon (log)ue from 1711. The three Gothic triptychs that form the furnishings are replaced by copies. The originals are in the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów.