Tarnawa

Those who choose Tarnawa for a stay focused on cultural history can explore the town’s past through several clearly dated points of reference. Its historical roots reach back to the Middle Ages. Tarnawa was founded as a knightly settlement, around which a village developed. Later, religious buildings, cemeteries, and individual memorial sites shaped the picture of local history. The timeline spans medieval beginnings, 19th-century buildings, and a memorial to a soldier who fell in the Second World War. A more recent chapter is the 2025 municipal harvest festival.

Churches and local history

A wooden church stood in Tarnawa in the 15th century; it was mentioned in 1411. The parish church of St. Martin was built in 1856 and has been listed in the register of immovable monuments of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship under number A.141 since January 15, 1957. The three dates have different significance: 1411 is the first mention of the wooden church, 1856 is the year St. Martin was built, and 1957 is the date it was registered as a monument. This makes it possible to arrange the early mention, the parish church’s construction, and its later monument registration in chronological order.

The St. Martin’s Church complex

The St. Martin’s Church complex also includes a chapel and a rectory. The chapel dates from the late 19th or early 20th century; the rectory was built in 1894. A specific year is given for the rectory, while the chapel is placed within a period spanning the late 19th to the early 20th century. Together with the church, built in 1856, these dates give a picture of the church complex taking shape in several stages. Visitors interested in historic buildings can compare the dates of the three components to understand the different construction phases of the ensemble.

Cemeteries and memorial sites

Tarnawa’s historical points of reference also include cemeteries and an individual war grave. The parish cemetery in Tarnawa dates from 1820 and is included in the voivodeship’s heritage register. A church cemetery is located beside the Roman Catholic church at Tarnawa 112. There is also an individual grave of a Polish Army soldier who fell in the Second World War. These sites represent different forms of remembrance: the parish cemetery is associated with a specific year of establishment, the church cemetery with the Roman Catholic church at Tarnawa 112, and the individual grave with one soldier. This makes it possible to distinguish cemeteries as memorial sites from the personal remembrance represented by an individual grave.

Harvest festival in Tarnawa

The municipal harvest festival offers another perspective on the town. On August 24, 2025, Tarnawa hosted the 20th Municipal Harvest Festival. Harvest festivals are held every year in the municipality of Sędziszów. At the festival in Tarnawa, the local rural women’s association prepared regional dishes. This specific event date adds a glimpse of community life to the architectural and historical topics. It is important to distinguish the event in Tarnawa from the annual tradition in the municipality of Sędziszów. If you would like to include a future harvest festival in your travel plans, please check the relevant event dates.

Discover more destinations: Stare Kanice, Jędrzejów, Sędziszów, Sobków, Małogoszcz, Nagłowice

Go to the higher-level travel overview: Jędrzejów.