Kościół św. Andrzeja
Churches of Kraków
One of the oldest churches in Kraków, built c. 1079-1098.
History
St Andrew's Church is one of the oldest buildings in Kraków and still keeps its Romanesque form. It was built in 1079-1098, founded by the palatine Sieciech, as the main church of the settlement of Okół. It was first looked after by Benedictines from Sieciechów, and later by those from Tyniec. It may originally have been dedicated to St Giles.
It is a fortified church: a two-tower basilica with a transept and a chancel ending in an apse, built of alternating layers of limestone and sandstone. The lower part of the west façade has only arrow slits, and the paired and triple arched windows appear only higher up. According to Długosz, in 1241, when the Mongols captured Kraków, the people of Okół defended themselves here. In 1243 Konrad of Masovia, fighting for the throne of Kraków, surrounded the church with a moat and an earth rampart.
In 1320 the church was given to the Poor Clares, who had previously lived in Grodzisko near Skała. Monastery buildings were put up for them, funded by King Władysław the Short (Łokietek). The church fell victim to fire several times, but its exterior changed little: Baroque tower caps and a north portal were added. In the 18th century, however, the interior was thoroughly remodelled in the Baroque style, and the stucco decoration and painted ornament are said to be the work of Baltazar Fontana. In the north tower, at first-floor level, the signature of a 12th-century mason carved in stone has survived. Among the convent's treasures, a mosaic image of the Mother of God from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, made in the Byzantine manner, stands out.
Did you know?
The convent treasury holds the oldest Nativity figures, dating from the early 14th century. They were probably donated by Elżbieta, the sister of King Casimir the Great.