St Bernardine's Church in Kraków

The Church of St Bernardine of Siena at Bernardyńska 2 in Stradom is the rectoral and conventual church of the Bernardines. It stands at the foot of Wawel Hill and is listed in the heritage register.

From monastery to early Baroque

The beginnings of the monastery are linked with the arrival in Kraków in 1453 of the preacher John of Capistrano, at the invitation of King Casimir IV Jagiellon. He was a representative of the Observants, a branch of the Franciscans known in Poland as Bernardines. The present early Baroque church was built in 1659-1680 after the destruction of the Swedish Deluge, to a design by Krzysztof Mieroszewski. The heritage register dates the site to the second half of the 15th century, and the entry dates from 1972.

Interior

It is a three-nave basilica with a transept and a dome set into the roof. In the chapel of St Anne there is a late Gothic sculpture, probably attributed to the workshop of Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz), and a Baroque painting of the Dance of Death from the last quarter of the 17th century. In the chapel of St Simon of Lipnica stands an altar-mausoleum with a stained-glass window to a design by Józef Mehoffer. The high altar was made in 1758-1766, and the paintings for it were painted by Brother Franciszek Lekszycki. In 1907 the church was extended by Jan Sas-Zubrzycki.

Nearby

It is about two hundred metres from here to Wawel Royal Castle, and about seven hundred to the Old Synagogue in Kazimierz.

Practical information

• Address: ul. Bernardyńska 2, Kraków, Old Town district.
• This is an active church, so visiting depends on services. Check the hours with the parish before your visit.