Poland

The Collegiate Church in Tuma and the legend associated with the devil Boruta

The Collegiate Church in Tum is not only a great example of Romanesque architecture, but also an interesting history and legend related to the devil Boruta. In this post you will find a lot of interesting facts about Tum and a lot of practical advice.

Reaching the village of Tum in the county of Łęczyca, you will notice the collegiate church standing out from a distance. It dominates the whole area and you would think it was taken out of a completely different era. Only when one learns the history of the place and the surrounding area does surprise give way to understanding and admiration.

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Although admiration may already appear, because the church in Tuma (more precisely: the Archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Alexe in Tuma) overwhelms with its size and austerity.

Table of contents

History of the Collegiate Church in Tuma

The history of the Collegiate Church in Tum is long and quite turbulent. Even when it comes to the very origins of the establishment of the church at the site, there are many discrepancies. According to some sources, the origins should be traced to the Benedictine abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, which was founded here in 997. Alexis. It was to be moved, the building demolished, and a new church was to be built in its place in the 12th century. When the church was consecrated in 1161, it was given patron saints like the abbey that existed here earlier had, namely the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Alexis.

It is worth noting here that the church was built next to a medieval fortress, which is currently being reconstructed and will probably be opened to the public later this year.

The collegiate church served a very important function, it was here that princely conventions and synods of Leczyca were held until the 16th century.

The church in Tuma was repeatedly destroyed and looted, among other things. By the Lithuanians, Teutonic Knights and Swedes. It also suffered from bombing raids during the war, and was consumed by fire. Numerous attempts at salvage and reconstruction have caused it to lose its Romanesque character over the years in favor of more Gothic and Baroque. In the mid-20th century, it was decided to rebuild the church, preserving its original Romanesque style.

Tour of the Collegiate Church

The church is open to the public, but only on specific days and times – you’ll read about what days below, and here we want to focus on what is particularly worth noting while you’re there.

Outside, look for a stone with indentations that, according to legend, were left by the Devil Boruta himself when he wanted to topple the church towers and thus prevent the construction of the church in Tuma. And everything was the fault of a certain maiden with whom he had a crush, and in order to fulfill her wish he began to bring stones for the construction of an inn. It turned out that instead of an inn, a church began to be built, and the girl tricked the devil into using his superhuman powers and strength.

Upon entering the interior of the church, the austerity of the place immediately strikes the eye. It is in vain to look for rich ornamentation and elaborate elements here. The walls are partly stone and brick. It’s worth looking for polychromes from the 12th century in the western apse, which were discovered during work in the second half of the 20th century.

Opening hours

Having been here several times, only once did we manage to go inside. We recommend checking the parish website(link) to see when the facility can be visited. At the moment, these are the following days and times:

Monday – Tuesday: closed
Wednesday – Saturday: from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday – between services and from 13:15 to 18:00

The collegiate church cannot be visited during services.

The vicinity of the Collegiate Church in Tuma

Across the street is a tiny wooden church of St. St. St. Nicholas Church from the 18th century. It looks quite modest next to the gigantic collegiate church, but it is worth stopping by for a moment as well. Unfortunately, it is closed and can only be viewed from the outside.

About 500 meters behind the collegiate church is a fortified settlement. Until two years ago completely unknown and bypassed, but in 2020 reconstruction work began to open it to the public. The site is currently fenced off and is a construction site, but work is expected to be completed later this year.

Another place worth noting is about 500 meters from the collegiate church in the direction of Leczyca. On the left look out for cottages and a wooden windmill – this is the Leczycka Zagroda Chłopska open-air museum. Quite a small open-air museum, but you have to admit that it is atmospheric. There are just a few cottages, a windmill and a blacksmith shop. For this machinery, equipped chambers.

Not to be forgotten at this point is Leczyca, especially the 4th century Royal Castle. The castle is open to the public, there is a museum inside, and you can also climb the tower. We wrote more about the castle as part of an entry on castles of Lodz province.

Tum, how to get there?

The Collegiate Church of Tum is located about 3 kilometers east of Leczyca. Taking the road No. 703 in the direction of Piatek and Łowicz, turn right, according to the signs to the village of Tum. After driving 1.5 kilometers you will arrive in front of the church itself.
There is a small, free parking lot.

The exact address:
The Archdiocese of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen and St. Alexei
Tum 8
99-100 Leczyca

Where to eat in the area?

In the immediate vicinity of the collegiate church is the Tumskie Guesthouse. The restaurant serves Polish cuisine.

There is a larger selection of restaurants in nearby Leczyca. Among the most recommended are Agawa restaurant, Rainbow restaurant, Szarotka restaurant.

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Where to spend the night?

Tum is a small village with no accommodations, and it’s hard to find them in Leczyca as well.

The nearest accommodations are:

Zajazd pod Jarem (accommodation in Bałtów, 600 meters from the entrance to the Bałtów Tourist Complex)
Address: Bałtów 27, 27-423 Bałtów
Prices: from 154 PLN for a double room (breakfast extra 25 PLN/person)
Link:

http://r4b.link/zajazd-pod-jarem

Bay Inn, less than 10 km by car from Tum,
Address: Sierpow 33, 95-035 Sierpow
Prices: from PLN 120 for a double room, without breakfast.
Link:

http://r4b.link/zatoka-ozorkow
Tamada Hotel, about 15 km by car to Tumu,
Address: ul. Działkowa 1, 95-035 Ozorków
Prices: from PLN 120 for a double room, without breakfast.
Link:

http://r4b.link/hotel-tamada
Korona Palace Hotel (3 stars), about 18 km by car to Tum,
Address: Estate 18, 95-043 Leznica Wielka
Prices: from PLN 200 for a double room, with breakfast.
Link:

http://r4b.link/korona-palace

Summary

Archikolegiata in Tuma is a very interesting building, an ideal example of Romanesque art in Poland. However, it’s worth making sure what days and hours it’s open so you don’t kiss the doorknob.

Combined with Leczyca and the Leczyca Farmstead, they are an ideal idea for a day trip in the area.

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