In the Rybnik district of Niewiadom, a new section of the road linking Pszczyna and Racibórz was recently completed. One of the biggest challenges faced by the designers and contractors of the project was the consideration and necessity to preserve the 19th-century chapel of St John of Nepomuk. Until recently, the monument was located on an intimate road in the midst of dense forest greenery. Today, its setting bears no resemblance to its former surroundings at all, and the massive viaduct over the small chapel creates a very unusual image.
The building as a place of worship and local identity
The chapel was probably built at the end of the 19th century, although some sources indicate that it may be even decades older. It was built on a near-square ground plan with a semicircular apse and a gabled roof topped with a little bell. The façade of the building is decorated with a wooden door, a small window and a niche – an empty space left by a non-existent cross. Further windows can be found on the side walls. Inside the chapel there is only the figure of St John of Nepomuk, depicted with a cross in his right hand and a palm in his left. The building does not stand out in any particular way, but it has managed to become part of the local landscape. For years, the chapel of Niewiadom has been under the care of the local community. The inhabitants took care of its appearance and safety, and in the 1990s organised its renovation. The structure stands close to the historic Ignacy Mine – a place with a strong cultural identity.
Worship of St John of Nepomuk
Saint John of Nepomuk was a Czech clergyman and Prague canon who lived in the 14th century. He died a martyr’s death, according to tradition by being thrown off the Charles Bridge into the Vltava River on the orders of King Wenceslas IV. His figure soon began to be venerated, especially in the areas of the former Habsburg Monarchy. John of Nepomuk was declared a saint in 1729. He is considered the patron saint of bridges, waters, sailors, confessors, drowning people and travellers, among others. His images are particularly numerous and widespread in Silesia. They can be found near bridges, at crossroads, on riverbanks, but also in village centres and along country roads.
Viaduct over the shrine
The new provincial road DW935, which connected Wodzisławska Street with Sportowa Street, runs right over a small building. As reported by slazag.pl, it was therefore necessary to extend the viaduct over Batory Street so that the valuable building could remain in its place. Several houses in its vicinity were demolished, but the monument survived. During the construction work, the chapel was protected against possible damage and is now located directly under the reinforced concrete structure of the viaduct. The whole makes for a rather peculiar composition, but from another symbolic perspective, the patron of bridges has come to the right place – under one of them.
The investment in numbers
The construction of the four-kilometre stretch of road took two years and consumed nearly 300 million zlotys. Of this amount, PLN 165 million came from the Government Road Development Fund and the Polish Order programme. Budimex S.A. was the contractor for the works. The final clean-up works are currently underway, including roadside adjustment, ditch cleaning and installation of signage. Once the acceptance works have been completed, the road will be made available to drivers.
Source: slazag.pl, wartezobaczenia.pl
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The chapel in 2013 and today. Photo: Google Maps and slazag.pl
