Churches & monasteries

St. Adalbert's church

On the Main Market Square stands one of the oldest masonry churches in Kraków — St. Adalbert's, with walls dating from the 11th century. It was built when a trade route still ran through this spot, which is why today you descend into it from the level of the square. In the basement awaits an exhibition on the history of the square and relics of earlier buildings.

Layers of history

Beneath the present structure, archaeologists uncovered a church from the times of Bolesław the Brave (early 11th century); it was replaced by a Romanesque church from the late 11th century — its walls are still visible in the lower parts of the building. According to tradition, St. Adalbert himself preached here, and the first church was built to commemorate his sermons. In 1404 the church became a university prebend thanks to Bishop Piotr Wysz, and in 1453 John of Capistrano preached here.

The Baroque makeover

In 1611-1618 the church was rebuilt in the Baroque style: the walls were raised, the whole structure was covered with an elliptical dome, the Romanesque walls were plastered, and a new entrance was built on the west side. The rebuild was directed by Walenty Fontana and Fr. Sebastian Mirosz. A sacristy was added in 1711 and the chapel of Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek, with a barrel vault with lunettes, in 1778.

What to see inside

The main altar holds a 17th-century copy of the icon of Our Lady Larger, and at the rood arch hangs a 15th-century crucifix. The furnishings are Baroque, from around the mid-18th century, and a late-Baroque portal leads inside. The church itself takes about a quarter of an hour to visit; for an extra fee you can enter the basement, where the exhibition shows how the square changed over the centuries.