Mstów: Manor Park, Chapel and History

Mstów lies on the Tarnawka stream in the central part of the Jodłownik municipality, a few kilometres north of Jodłownik. This location places the village within the municipality. Its history spans the manor park and a wayside chapel, as well as ownership records and a local legend. Mstów thus offers different perspectives on the village’s past: specific dates, the history of an estate and a story explicitly passed down as a legend.

Manor Park and Heritage Listing

The manor park in Mstów was entered in the heritage register under number A-525 on 23 August 1988. A decision dated 1 September 2015 removed part of the park and part of the visual screening zone from the register. The dates refer to two different steps: the listing was followed by a partial change to the scope of the register. The park and the visual screening zone should be distinguished; the decision refers to part of each. This also makes clear that the change was a partial removal, not the removal of the entire park. In the 19th century, the Popiel family took over the estate and manor house in Mstów. This ownership history adds another historical perspective on the estate to the information about the park.

Wayside Chapel and Local Legend

Near the former manor house stands a wayside chapel with a figure of the Sorrowful Christ. A local legend tells of a snake charmer who is said to have died while trying to lure the snakes out of the manor house. The landowner is said to have built a chapel at the spot. This dramatic episode has been passed down as a legend, not as a verified historical event. The wayside chapel and its figure, and the story, thus represent different aspects of Mstów’s local history: a named structure and a local tradition.

Historical References and Changes of Ownership

The earliest known reference to Mstów dates from 1408 and is held in the archives of Szczyrzyc Abbey. In 1505, Joanesa ze Mstowa-Mstowski is named as the owner of Mstów. He was a benefactor of the Cistercian monastery in Szczyrzyc and was also buried there. The two dates represent different historical references: 1408 marks the earliest known mention of the village, while the information about 1505 also identifies a person and his connection to the monastery. The earlier reference should therefore not be treated as a founding date.

Towards the end of the 16th century, Mstów came under the rule of Stanisław Zborowski of the Jastrzębiec coat of arms. A few decades later, the village passed into the ownership of the Gąsiorowski family of the Pilawa coat of arms. The Popiel family’s later takeover of the estate and manor house, by contrast, took place in the 19th century. This sequence therefore covers both rule over the village and ownership of the estate and manor house. Distinguishing between these details helps place the different periods in context without merging them into a single succession of owners. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Mstów, this local history may be a useful guide if you would like to focus your stay on the manor house and the village’s historical connections.

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