Kościół Bożego Ciała
Churches of Kraków
A Gothic church in Kazimierz, founded by Casimir the Great.
History
The brick church in Kazimierz was founded around 1340 by Casimir the Great. Construction began in the 1340s with foundations for the whole church and the chancel walls, but after 1348 it was interrupted, possibly because of the plague. Work resumed from 1369; the accounts mention the masons Jan Cypser, his son Mikołaj, and Piotr. The chancel was consecrated in 1401, and in 1405 Władysław Jagiełło brought Canons Regular from Kłodzko, for whom a monastery was built next door. The gable of the façade was added around 1500, and the tower was built in 1566-1582.
The interior is dominated by a two-tier high altar from the first half of the 17th century, 21 metres tall, with paintings by Tommaso Dolabella. Look out for the late Baroque pulpit from the mid-18th century, shaped like a boat with oars and a net. The church has the largest organ in Kraków in terms of the number of stops: 83 stops, 5950 pipes and 20 bells. Five historic bells hang in the 70-metre tower.
The basilica is the resting place of St Stanisław Kazimierczyk and also of Bartolomeo Berrecci. It is a triple shrine: of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Saviour, of St Stanisław Kazimierczyk, and a Eucharistic shrine. By a decree of 24 January 2005, Pope John Paul II raised the church to the rank of minor basilica.
Did you know?
According to legend, thieves stole a gilded copper monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament from All Saints' Church and hid it in the overgrown Mate marsh. Blue lights burned there day and night. When the monstrance was found after a procession, King Casimir promised to build a brick church in honour of Corpus Christi on that very spot.