BASILICA NOTRE-DAME
You can't miss this symbol of the city, enthroned on the Rynek. Don't miss the sumptuous woodwork on the ceiling.
Also called Basilica of Saint Mary, it is one of the symbols of the city. Rebuilt in its present form from 1355 after its destruction by the Tatars, its beautiful exterior façade hides a fascinating interior that remains engraved for a long time in the memories of its visitors.
Its facade with two unequal towers (the left one is 81 m high and dominates the right one which is only 69 m high) has motivated a legend according to which the architects were two brothers, who became rivals on the building site, and that a fratricide cut short the works. The chapel of St. Anthony, which is located at the foot of the tallest tower, is also called "the chapel of the criminals": the place where criminals spent their last night with confessors before their execution. The highest of the towers has always served as the city's watchtower. Its capital is topped by a crown weighing 350 kg, and a golden ball that would contain the history of the city.
The famous Hejnał sounds every hour from the tower's apartments. This famous trumpet tune, played by a fine team of retired watchmen and musicians who take turns on the site all the time, always stops abruptly in the middle of its tune, at the place where, according to legend, the Tatars who had intruded into the city killed the watchman who had tried to warn his countrymen with an arrow. It is possible to visit the trumpeter and see the bells of the tower by reservation.
The interior of the church is richly decorated with unique woodwork (what a superb ceiling!) embellished in 1753-1754, then in 1889-1891, notably by the painter Jan Matejko. Its centerpiece is the main altar, a gigantic pentaptych with painted and gilded lime wood carvings, the work of the sculptor Veit Stoss, created between 1477 and 1489. Almost 16 meters high and 11 meters wide, this impressive altarpiece is adorned with about 200 wooden sculptures, with carvings up to 3 meters high and with an amazing realism. The altarpiece was dismantled and hidden in Sandomierz in 1939, but was found by the Nazis who transported it to Nuremberg Castle where it was extensively destroyed. It was only in 1957 that it was returned to its original location in the choir of the church. In recent years, with the help of the European Union, a gigantic renovation work has been carried out, which has just been completed, restoring the altarpiece to its original splendor. Do not miss the impressive video describing the work.