Churches & monasteries

Saint Anne Sanctuary in Aleksandrówka

In Aleksandrówka, a village in the commune of Przyrów in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, stands the baroque church of Saint Anne modelled on the basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua. The temple with a high tower holds two chapels, of Saint Francis and of Saint Anne, and together with the monastery forms a sanctuary that has gathered pilgrims for over five centuries. Until 1977 the village itself was called Święta Anna, in honour of the place of worship.

The figurine and the monastery

The most precious object of the sanctuary is the Gothic figurine of Saint Anne with Mary and the Child. According to local tradition it appeared miraculously at the site of Saint Anne's apparitions to the villagers more than 500 years ago and has been venerated ever since. The monastery was built by the Bernardine friars in the 17th century — they also raised the church; today it is cared for by the cloistered Dominican sisters. On the monastery courtyard with arcades and paintings one can see a valuable 17th-century picture depicting the dance of death.

In practice

The complex dates to the years 1609–1617, and the last major rebuilding took place in 1880. A visit combines the church with the monastery courtyard, and the great indulgence feast falls on 26 July, the name day of Saint Anne.