Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in Krakow Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in Krakow Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in Krakow Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in Krakow
Address:

pl. Wszystkich Świętych 5,
31-004 Kraków
tel. (12) 422 53 76

franciszkanska.pl

Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in Krakow

You can get your medals at the papomate in the side vestibule of the Basilica!

The Franciscans settled in Krakow in 1237. From the beginning, the Franciscan church was built on a Latin cross plan, following the example of the church of St Francis in Viterbo. In the first half of the 15th century, the presbytery was extended towards the east and closed with a three-sided apse. At the same time, the cloisters were built, mainly for Eucharistic processions; they connected the chapels and monastery buildings into a single unit. The cloisters attract attention with their 15th-century frescoes, among which the unique so-called Mystical Crowning, and a rich series of portraits of the bishops of Cracow.

In 1895, the eastern part of the church received a polychrome painting by Stanisław Wyspiański, mainly with floral motifs. Wyspiański also designed the magnificent stained glass windows, which were made in Insbruck in 1899-1904. They are all stunning, but the powerful image of God the Father at the creation of the world, placed above the church choir, stands out. Between 1904 and 1905, Tadeusz Popiel did the polychrome of the rest of the church.

Noteworthy are four scenes from the life of St Francis placed in the lunettes of the vaults on the north wall.

It also houses the tomb-sarcophagus with the relics of Blessed Aniela Salawa, beatified by the Holy Father John Paul II in the Market Square in Krakow, on 13 August 1991. The third chapel, the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, was created from the northern arm of the 15th century cloisters, with preserved Gothic vault ribbing. The chapel houses a miraculous image of the Sorrowful Benefactress of Krakow from the first half of the 15th century. This painting was crowned with papal crowns by the Bishop of Krakow, Cardinal Jan Puzyna, on 20 September 1908.

Cardinal Karol Wojtyla prayed here very often. Already as the Holy Father, John Paul II visited the basilica twice: 9 June 1979 and 13 August 1991, after the beatification of Aniela Salawa, where he prayed at her relics in the Passion Chapel.