Franciscan Church and Friary in Gniezno

In the side aisle of the Franciscan church, in the former oratory of the Poor Clare nuns, lie the remains of Blessed Jolenta (Yolanda) – a Hungarian princess, sister of St Kinga and grandmother of King Casimir the Great. Kings Sigismund the Old and Sigismund III Vasa were among the pilgrims to her tomb. This early Gothic church from 1270 stands on Panieńskie Hill, two minutes from the Market Square, and is today a double sanctuary: of Our Lady of Consolation, known as the Lady of Gniezno, and of Blessed Jolenta.

History: princes, fire and a Gothic revival

Construction began in 1270, and the church was consecrated nine years later. Around 1300 a two-storey side aisle was added – the upper floor served as the oratory of the Poor Clares, brought to Gniezno by Duke Przemysł II, while the lower floor was open to worshippers. The great town fire of 1613 brought the tower down onto the vault; the rebuilding gave the interior a Baroque look, and only the chancel remained Gothic.

The Franciscan friary and the convent of the Poor Clares were dissolved in 1836–1837, and for almost a hundred years the church was looked after by priests from Holy Trinity parish. The Franciscans returned on 28 December 1928. In 1930–1932 the church was re-Gothicised: the rib vault in the nave was restored, the pointed windows were reinstated, and the former oratory was opened up to the church by removing the floor between its two levels.

Blessed Jolenta and the Lady of Gniezno

Jolenta, daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary, was born around 1242 and in 1256 married Duke Bolesław the Pious. Her daughter Jadwiga became the wife of King Władysław the Elbow-High and mother of Casimir the Great. After the deaths of her husband and her sister Kinga, Jolenta settled in the Poor Clares' convent in Gniezno, founded thanks to her efforts, and died here in 1298. She was beatified in 1827. Her remains rest in a gilded reliquary decorated with scenes from her life, made to a design by S. Odrzywolski.

The image of Our Lady of Consolation was donated by Władysław Mituszewski and solemnly brought into the church in 1659. In 1997 it was adorned with papal crowns, and in 1998 the church became a sanctuary. Since 2 June 2019 it has been the diocesan sanctuary of the Lady of Gniezno and Blessed Jolenta.

What to see

• the chancel with its 13th-century rib vault – the oldest part of the church,
• the altar of Blessed Jolenta with her reliquary in the side aisle, the former oratory of the Poor Clares,
• the image of the Lady of Gniezno in the Baroque high altar,
• Rococo pews from 1760–1770 and choir stalls from 1767,
• statues of the Immaculate Virgin, St Francis and the apostles Peter and Paul on the nave walls.

Tripto tip

The church is at ul. Franciszkańska 12. Admission is free, and the easiest time to see the interior is around services – on weekdays Mass is said at 6:15, 9:00 and 18:00; the friary website has the current schedule. On Mondays, after the 9:00 and 18:00 Masses, there are devotions to Blessed Jolenta, so the reliquary is busier then. Allow 15–20 minutes. The church lies on Gniezno's Royal Route, and within a few minutes you can walk to Holy Trinity Church, St John the Baptist's Church and, along ul. Tumska, to the cathedral on Lech Hill.