Lubla magic place - worth visiting

Lubla is situated on the south region of Pogórze Strzyżowskie upland , on the territory between the Wisłok and the Wisłoka rivers and Jasielsko-Sanok and Kotlina Sandomerska valleys, it is 12 km to the north-east from Jasło along the highway to Frishtak. The area is characterized by beautiful landscapes and pristine nature. The village is also a treasure box of historical must-see places which make an unforgettable impression on tourists.

The traces of human settlements in the area of Lubla go back to the Neolithic Age. Findings from the Iron Age and early medieval times, as well as the subsequent written records, prove the development of permanent settlements on the territory mentioned above.

Nowadays the village belongs to Strzyżów administrative district in Podkarpackie region and to Frysztak decanate in Rzeszów diocese.

The first historical mention about Lubla village comes from 1185.Komes Mikołaj from Bogoria donated already existed settlement to the Cistercian monastery located in Koprzywnica and it remained in its possession until 1796, when it became incorporated in the imperial estate of the Habsburg family. In 1808, Lubla was sold by the Austrian government to Jan Chrzciciel Rogoyski, of Brochowicze coat of arms. The owner of Lubla was also Jedrzej Rogoyski, the author of “My Diaries” who depicted the life of Galicia`s gentry. In 1862 it was bought by Ludwin Dzianott. The manor in Lubla remained in the possession of the Dzianott family until 1946.

The parochial school in Lubla was established in about 1595. Written records point to the fact that it was situated in the former organ player’s house. A new school building was build on the territory of the former graveyard in the 19^th century and later was turned into Teacher’s House. The present building of school, named after Saint Jan Kant , is located in the place where the Dzianotts’ manor used to be and that was fully destroyed in 1944.There is also the branch of district public library, which was established in 1957,and possesses more than 8 thousand volumes.

At the beginning of the 20^th century the village could boast a reading room, an agricultural association, a fire brigade, as well as 18 craftsman workshops. In 1914, a part of the village neighboring with Sieklówka was burnt down by the retreating Austrian troops.

During the German occupation, the estate of the Dzianott family constituted an important link in the chain of the resistance movement with the headquarters of National Army in Frysztak.

The first historical mention about a parish in Lubla comes from 1277.No doubts that the parish had existed long time before, but unfortunately it is difficult to prove because of the lack of any documents of that time.

In Lubla one may marvel St. Nicolas church, which is one of the most beautiful late Gothic wooden churches in the Sub-Carpathian region, founded around the middle of the 15^thcentury by Mikołaj Grot, abbot of the Cistercian monastery. In 1793, a belfry tower was added to the main silhouette of the church, which tower was destroyed during the wartime battles in August 1944. The belfry and the fence were reconstructed in 1995 thanked to the priest Franciszek Podolski. The church has undergone repair work several times - in 1778, 1838, 1862, 1922, as well as after the Second World War .Preservation repair work has being done since 2003 ,organized by the parish priest Julian Bartnik. Thanks to his enthusiasm the original look of the temple is being retrieved.

The church has a main late-Baroque and lateral altars from the beginning of the 18th century. Of particular interest is their valuable paintings: the Gothic image Misericordia Domini on the altar on the left, from the middle of the 15^th century, the two late Gothic paintings on the main altar, depicting the Mother of God with the Child as the Queen Of Angels and the patron saint of the church, St. Nicolas, as well as the pictures of St. Ann with Mary and the Child, and St. Joachim on the altar on the right.

In the left-band altar there is a late-Baroque antependium depicting Christ being crowned with the thorns and the death of St. Stanislaw parish priest. A Baroque cross from the 2^nd half of the 17^th century and rococo angel-shaped chandeliers are placed on the rainbow crossbeam. The rococo pulpit from 1778 is also of special importance ,it is rich in sculpture embellishments, and the confessional from the later half of the 18^th century. On the southern wall of the belfry tower there is a head of Christ, which commemorates a miraculous event - during the shelling of Lubla in January 1945, an explosion destroyed the crucifix, but the head of the Crucified flew off intact and got stuck in the wooden wall.

The most precious sculpture that may be seen in the church is the 18^th century statue of Our Lady, showing evident influences of the Italian Baroque art.

In the belfry tower, next to the church, there is a Gothic bell dating back to the end of the 15^th century.

There are four more objects in Lubla from so- called small sacral architecture ,that also deserve our attention. The chapel of 19 century of Bukowy Forest settlement is one of them. The next one is the small folk chapel of the middle of 19 century ,which has neo- gothic features and is situated on the right side of the cross of the road Jasło-Frysztak and the road to the church. The chapel in Sośnica settlement, on the border with Niepla, and the wooden chaple by the Jasło-Frysztak road in tne south part of the village are also the places of great attention.

From the point of view of wooden church, rich history and its beautiful site, Lubla is the place which worth visiting and staying longer. It will be a great opportunity to get to know the life of the village and the parish ,which are the oldest in Sub-Carpathian region.