Loreto House in Kraków

The Loreto House stands on the north side of the Capuchin church at Loretańska 11, in Piasek. It is a small chapel surrounded by cloisters, modelled on the shrine of the Holy House in Loreto in Italy.

Construction and interior

The house was built in 1712-1719 to a design by Kacper Bażanka. The walls of the chapel were covered with polychrome painting in 1926 by Jan Bukowski. On the altar stands a figure of Our Lady of Loreto, covered by a painting by Michał Stachowicz from 1818, and the tabernacle, an ebony cabinet (sepet) decorated with miniatures, is said to be a gift from King John III Sobieski. The building is entered in the heritage register.

A place linked to history

During Mass on 24 March 1794 Tadeusz Kościuszko received a blessed sabre here, which is commemorated by a plaque with a relief by Alfred Daun on the outer wall. Adam Chmielowski received his religious habit in the house on 25 August 1887, and in 1930 the wedding of Henryk Dobrzański, “Hubal”, took place here. In the cloisters, plaques commemorate several dozen people connected with Polish history.

Practical information

• Address: Loretańska 11, Kraków, Old Town.
• The sources give no opening hours or whether the interior can be entered; ask the Capuchins.
• It is about 500 metres from here to the Main Market Square, and the Bagatela Theatre stands 200 metres further on.