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Latest Krakow hotel reviews
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The church was built 1237 - 1269 but has been rebuilt and refurnished many times since then. The last time, in early 1900s, the interior we can now see was made with stained-glass windows designed by Stanislaw Wyspianski.
Updated Apr 10, 2010
Address: Ul. Franciszkanska.
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St. Florian's Church was originally built in 1184 as a mausoleum for the relics of St Florian, a 3rd century Roman soldier and martyr. The present look of the church is the result of a Baroque rebuilding after the Swedish Wars.
The church was the starting point for royal funeral as well as coronation processions on their way to the Wavel Cathedral.
It has been the University Collegiate since the 16th century.
Updated Apr 10, 2010
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The first parish church of the Holy Cross was erected in 1200. It was probably wooden. The present-day church was constructed in the 14th century, the stone chancel being built in the early part of the century followed by the construction of the nave and the tower.
Inside you will find an unusual design with a palmlike vault supported by one single column. You will also find a Gothic baptismal font cast in 1423. A Late Gothic cross stands on the rood beam. The surviving fragments of of a 16th century polichromy are visible on the wall under the musicians' choir. They show Our Lady of Sorrow and scenes from the Passion.
On the left side of the entrance way under the tower there is a chapel of St. Andrew, with an extant fragment of a mural painting showing the Crucifixion. It dates from 1420.
By the time of my visit, the church was closed due to renovation, so I have no pictures from the inside. That was a great disappointment to me.
The information text is a shorted form of the text on the wall of the church.
Updated Apr 10, 2010
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I had great expectations on this church as I had read it would "one of the nicest and most beautiful buildings in Krakow". Well, perhaps it is if other than me judges. I didn't get the right feel for it.
Anyway, it was completed in 1612 in Baroque style. The most impressing is, in fact, the outside and especially the large statues of the 12 Apostles. They are more than man-size.
Updated Aug 12, 2009
Address: Ul. Grodzka.
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2009 trip: We enjoyed the "Apostle" church once again. The statues and stone work in front of the church lend much to the streetscape.
The "Apostle building", as it is called, is a Baroque Jesuit church, The church of Sts. Peter and Paul. It is said that the Jesuits spent so much money to create this facade, they ran out of money to finish the church in the same ornate style. The actual church is built with simple brick.
The statues are very impressive as you pass along the street. It is still used as a church and I'm told there are concerts held each week. When I return to Krakow I hope to get a look at the interiors and maybe be lucky enough to hear the music.
Updated Jul 7, 2009
The church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul was begun in 1596 but structural damage meant it had to be rebuilt in 1605, the architect remains unknown today. The church is enclosed by railings topped by statues of the twelve apostles, which are dated between 1715 and 1722.
Written Mar 13, 2009
Address: Ul. Grodzka 56
Phone: 012 422 65 73
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St. Wojciech is one of the oldest stone churches in Poland. Its history goes back to the Polish Romanesque architecture of the early middle ages. The church was built in the 11th century. The church has been at this site for a century before the square was designed.
Updated Mar 1, 2009
Address: RYNEK GLOWNY
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The church of Saint Mary [Kosciol Mariaki] was built by the citizens of Krakow to rival the royal cathedral on Wawel hill. Building of the church began in 1355 and continued until the early 16th century. The baroque porch at the front of the church was built in the mid 18th century to a design by Francesco Placidi.
Updated Mar 1, 2009
Address: PL. MARIAKI 5
Phone: 012 422 05 21
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Saint Andrew’s is a fortress church built in Romanesque style at the end of the 11th century in the center of the medieval settlement of Okol. The church was an effective shelter for the inhabitants during the Tartar invasion. In fact, it was the only church in Krakow to withstand the Mongol attack of 1241.
In the 12th and 13th centuries the church was extended and two towers were added. A Gothic oratory was erected in the 14th century and a cloister was built as the church was ruled by the Order of St. Klara's. In the 17th and 18th centuries other changes were made such as the Baroque domes of the towers.
St. Andrew’s is the best preserved Romanesque church in Krakow. It keeps a Byzantine mosaic of the Virgin Mary in the treasury.
Written Feb 1, 2009
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Saint Mary’s church was the main church of Krakow during the Middle Ages. The Gothic church replaced the previous Romanesque one in the early 14th century. Two slender towers flank the façade. The higher one (80 m), covered by a dome in the 15th century, has been used as a watch-tower for centuries.
The vestibule in front of the main entrance dates back to the 18th century. The Gothic stained-windows in the presbytery are the most valuable in Poland. The Renaissance ciborium and late baroque paintings also outstand.
The wooden altarpiece carved by Wit Stwosz between 1477 and 1489 is a wonderful triptych. The central scene represents the Virgin passing away in the presence of the Twelve Apostles. Other scenes are the Annunciation, the Nativity Scene, the Three Wise Men, the Resurrection of Christ, the Ascension of Christ and the Descent of the Holy Spirit.
Written Feb 1, 2009
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Write a ReviewSaint Mary’s church was the main church of Krakow during the Middle Ages. The Gothic church replaced the previous Romanesque one in the early 14th century. Two...
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