St Catherine of Alexandria and St Margaret's Church in Kraków

The Church of St Catherine of Alexandria and St Margaret at Augustiańska 7 in Kraków's Kazimierz is the Gothic church of the Augustinian monastery. Wikipedia counts it among the best examples of medieval stonework in Poland, and its soaring form and wealth of detail set the complex apart within European Gothic.

A royal foundation and a long construction

The Augustinians were brought from Prague by Casimir the Great in 1342, when he was founding the town of Kazimierz. The construction of the monastery complex is dated from that year. The chancel was consecrated in 1378, and work on the nave was essentially completed in 1426. Around 1404 Ścibor of Ściborzyce funded the Chapel of St Monica on the site of a planned western bay.

After the earthquake of 1443 the vault of the nave collapsed, and it was rebuilt until 1505. In the 16th century the church suffered a flood and a fire, and in 1634 the present early Baroque high altar was put in place.

Interior

This is a three-aisled basilica without a tower or transept. The chancel is covered by a late Gothic star vault funded by Jan of Bobrek Ligęza. The high altar holds the painting The Mystical Marriage of St Catherine by Andrzej Weneta, from 1674.

The furnishings are modest, which emphasises the purity of the architectural lines. The most valuable work is the late Renaissance tomb of Wawrzyniec Spytek Jordan from the workshop of Santi Gucci, from around 1603. The church also has two 19th-century organs and a cycle of Baroque Augustinian paintings by Zachariasz Dzwonowski. On the south side a late Gothic porch with richly carved portals adjoins the church.

The 19th and 20th centuries

After the Austrians dissolved the order, the church served as an arms depot, and later as a straw and hay store. In 1827 the Senate of the Free City of Kraków intended to demolish it, and a restoration committee set up in 1833 saved the complex. During the German occupation almost all the friars were deported to camps. The order was re-established in Kraków in 1993.

Nearby

The church stands right next to Skałka, and the Old Synagogue and Wawel are less than a kilometre from here. You can also walk to the Main Market Square.

Practical information

• Address: Augustiańska 7, Kraków. The church is an active parish church, so visiting the interior is usually tied to service times.
• According to the parish website, Masses on Sundays and holidays are at 9:00, 11:00, 12:15 and 18:00, and on weekdays at 7:00, 8:00 and 18:00. Check the times on the parish website before your visit.