Basilica of the Virgin Mary's, Krakow, Poland

Related person

Eric Haddenham (was created by)

Date

Current form completed by end of 13th century, additions later

Description

The basilica of the Virgin Mary's (or Kosciol Mariacki) is located at Krakow's central Market Square. The Gothic edifice of the present St. Mary's church replaced its Romanesque predecessor by the end of the 13th century. In 1365 a chancel was added and soon its big stained-glass windows, of which three are still in place, were as well. By the end of the 14th century the body of the church got its current form of a basilica. The taller of its two towers, with a Gothic spire of 1478 and a gold-plated crown of 1666, belongs to the municipality and the Krakow signal is played from it every full hour. The lower tower, with the 1592 Renaissance roof, accommodates five bells. Two of them date back to the late 14th century. In the Baroque front porch of the mid-18th century are two early-Gothic holy-water basins. The basilica of the Virgin Mary's is home to an Oltarz Mariacki, giant Gothic altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss between 1477 and 1489. In 1491 he also sculptured a stone crucifix that now is part of the late-Baroque altarpiece in the south aisle, and possibly the huge crucifix above the nave as well. Sepulchral monuments of the Krakow wealthy elite fill the basilica and its twelve chapels. Ornate stalls in the chancel appear an outstanding achievement of the early-Baroque woodwork. The wall paintings by Jan Matejko date back to the 1888-1891 renovation. The treasure-house of the basilica of the Virgin Mary's is full of art, including some 300 masterly embroidered ancient vestments.

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