The most beautiful churches cathedrals basilicas and chapels Little Poland

This beautiful church built at the end of the 16th century, under the direction of Bernardo Morando, has a splendid interior. It is considered one of the most beautiful religious monuments of the Renaissance in Poland. Its vaulting is typical of Polish mannerism.

The monumental silver tabernacle is in rococo style. In the choir, there are four paintings depicting the life of St. Thomas, the patron saint of the city. From the top of the bell tower, there is a beautiful view of the city.

Located in front of the Episcopal Palace, this church was founded by one of the bishops of Krakow who sat there at the end of the 12th century. Originally built in Romanesque style, it was rebuilt in the 17th century and has been modified several times since then to create a striking result dominated by the Baroque style. Inside, there is a Gothic triptych dating from 1490, an ornamented tomb in a Renaissance style dating from 1553.

This eighteenth-century Baroque basilica is a bit out of the way, but it is immediately noticeable if you walk along the banks of the Vistula River, the way it majestically stands out from the river, in the middle of a park. It is one of the most popular places of worship in the city, because of its special relationship with St. Stanislaus, the patron saint of Poland. After his murder, the martyr and bishop was installed here and celebrated before he was canonized and later exhumed and transported to the Wawel. The memory of the saint continues to keep alive the basilica, which is one of the richest in the city. Its interior is a true Baroque jewel that should not be missed: pastel colors, golden ornaments, statues of angels and saints. Above all, the chapel dedicated to St. Stanislaus. Inside, you can see the trunk on which the drops of blood of the bishop fell. The miraculous water in the basin near the church, with a statue of St. Stanislaus, is said to have healing powers, especially for skin and eye diseases.

Every year since the 13th century, on the first Sunday after May 8, the faithful carry the relic of the Bishop of Wawel to Skałka. The start of the grand procession is marked by the ringing of Sigismund's bell. This is one of the highlights of the country that is a must see. Under the basilica is the Crypt of the Meritorious, where "great men" who have distinguished themselves in the field of culture, science and art are buried.

Located south of the Rynek opposite the Bishops' Palace, this enormous church dates from the 13th century. In the 19th century, it was enriched with beautiful stained glass windows and Art Nouveau murals by Stanisław Wyspiański: the one above the door, God the Creator, is a true masterpiece. During Lent, every Friday around 4:30 pm, men dressed in black carry a skull to the Passion Chapel, where they then lie on the floor. In the adjacent cloister(klasztor), there is an amazing collection of portraits of all the bishops of Krakow.

The construction of the Ark of the Lord was the result of an intense struggle by the inhabitants against the communist regime, which wanted a "city without God". Unfortunately, the workers of Nowa Huta, often from the countryside, won. It was the future Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyła, then archbishop of Krakow, who laid the foundation stone of the church in 1969, in this case a fragment of the tomb of St. Peter sent by the Vatican.

The temple resembles Noah's Ark, stranded on Mount Ararat, with its 70 m high mast in the shape of a cross surrounded by a crown. It should be seen as a metaphor that Christianity will survive communism. Inside the church, there is a gigantic bronze Christ, 8 m high, crucified but without a cross. In the months following the opening of the church, masses were celebrated every 30 minutes on Sundays to cope with the crowds. From December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, during the Martial Law, on the 13th of each month in this church, the "Mass for the Fatherland" was celebrated, for social justice and respect for human rights. These masses were followed by demonstrations against the violation of civil rights by the authorities, which were severely repressed by the police. The most famous victim of these riots was Bogdan Włosik, a 19-year-old student working at the steel mill. In front of the church is the monument commemorating the place where Włosik was killed by a secret police agent in 1982.

On the top of the castle hill (Góra Zamkowa) stands this graceful 17th century basilica. It acquired its Baroque style during its reconstruction in 1735-1756.

The buildings surrounding it are part of a religious complex, formerly a bishop's palace (built in 1771) and monastery (1640-1649). At the foot of the basilica, on the right, you will see the ruins of a medieval fortress from the 10th century, which disappeared a long time ago.

The present Gothic building was built by King Casimir the Great in 1360. The exterior facade has retained its authenticity, but the interior has been redone several times. The interior is decorated with rococo altars, in black or pink marble. On the walls of the nave, paintings represent the destruction of the city by the Tatars and the Swedes. Others, grouped under the name of Kalendarium predicts in twelve parts the way in which everyone will die.