Description:
The community of Sekowa, situated roughly 100 km south west of Cracow, consisted of three villages: Sekowa, Owczary and Siary. Over the centuries two different ethnic peoples lived in this region with their own religions. Thus the Parochia Church in Sekowa and the Orthodox Church in Owczary, both small wooden churches, and situated only 8 km from each other, belonged to different religious denominations. The Parish Church in Sekowa, dedicated to the apostles Philip and Jacob, was built in about 1520 in the gothic style. This hall-church was enlarged in the 17th and 18th centuries by the addition of a campanile and picturesque pentices. During World War I the church was badly damaged. It was repaired immediately afterwards, but since 1982 it has undergone complex restoration and preservation work. This involved treating structural elements, trusses, beams and planks with pesticide to eliminate insects and bacteria and either repairing or replacing parts. The 16th century gilded and polychrome altar piece with rich sculptural decorations, was also carefully cleaned and restored. The restoration of the Orthodox Church in Owczary, constructed round 1653, started in 1983 and also took several years during this period. Its roofs of white steelplate were replaced by wooden trusses, thus restoring its exterior to its original appearance, whilst its polychrome interior, including the wooden altars and its many icons, was completely cleaned, restored, and preserved. As a result of the exemplary cooperation of two different ethnic and religious communities, supported by the regional inspector of monuments, both churches have been preserved for generations to come in a region where so many of these small jewels of wooden architecture have unfortunately disappeared.