ruin of the cemetery church of St. John the Evangelist

The Cemetery Church of St. John the Evangelist in Paczków, in the Opole Voivodeship, is an example of Renaissance sacred architecture, built of stone and brick. It was constructed on the site of a medieval wooden temple that had existed since the 13th century, which was demolished at the end of the 16th century due to its poor technical condition. The building, consecrated in 1606, is characterized by its three side aisles, a buttressed structure covered with a gable roof, and a tower on the western side, crowned with a spire. The interior of the church, adorned with architectural polychrome paintings, features a vaulted ceiling and a wooden music choir dating from the 17th to 18th centuries. The tower's elevations, divided into four storeys, are decorated with arcaded blind windows, while tall biforial windows illuminate the interior. After World War II, as a result of military actions, the church was severely damaged; only the tower without its spire and fragments of the perimeter walls of the nave survived. In 1974, a decision was made to secure the remains of the structure, which has since functioned as a permanent ruin. Due to its historical and architectural significance, the church is a valuable element of the local cultural heritage.