The Church of St. Anne stands in the village of Kijany in the gmina Spiczyn of Łęczna County, above the valley of the Vepra River, about 8 km west of Łęczna and 20 km from Lublin. It is a brick Baroque church from the turn of the 17th–18th centuries, connected with the legend of a vow before the Vienna campaign and with the family of Maria Skłodowska-Curie. The village lies within the Nadwieprzański Landscape Park.
The Voivode’s Vow
The parish in Kijany was founded in 1599 by the local landowner Piotr Czerny. The brick church is associated with Atanazy Monciński — the Crown Court Treasurer and later the Voivode of Volhynia, owner of the neighboring Zawieprzyce. According to legend, in 1683, setting out with King Jan III Sobieski to aid Vienna, he made a vow before the miraculous image of Our Lady of Kijany: if he returned alive, he would build a brick church here and place the image in the main altar.
Monciński returned, and construction began that same year; it was completed after the founder’s death, around 1723. The image of Our Lady of Kijany from the late 17th century remains in the church and is venerated as miraculous.
Monument and Cemetery
The church, bell tower, church cemetery, and fence have been listed as monuments since 1972. The old parish cemetery is a separate monument. It is the burial place of Józef Skłodowski — grandfather of Maria Skłodowska-Curie, and inside the church there is a memorial plaque to Ksawery Skłodowski, who leased the estate in neighboring Zawieprzyce. It was to him that the young Maria visited in 1883.
Kijany has been known since the 14th century; the noble family of Kijański took its name from it. In the 18th century, the village was part of the Kijany key of the Lubomirski family, and in the 19th century a palace was built here, now known as the palace in Kijany.
How to Get There
Kijany lies along the road from Lublin to Łęczna, about 20 km from Lublin. Nearby are the ruins of the palace in Zawieprzyce with the chapel of St. Anthony and the palace in Kijany, and in Łęczna there is the Church of St. Mary Magdalene and the Great Synagogue. The church is open during services. For Ukrainian citizens, this is Poland: a foreign passport is required.
