Krakow | Bazylika Mariacka - St. Mary's Basilica

History and Architecture of St. Mary's Basilica (Kosciol Mariacki)

Cracow's Bazylika Mariacka, also known as Kosciol Mariacki, St. Mary's Basilica, or the "Church of the Holy Virgin Mary" began construction in 1222, under the leadership of the Bishop of Cracow, Iwo Odrowaz. St. Mary's was build prior to the development of the town of Cracow, which officially began in 1257, as the town sprang up around the church.

The eclectic architectural style of the Kosciol Mariacki basilica is a mixture of Romanesque, gothic, and baroque, all of which were adopted during the church's long construction during the Middle Ages, and its re-construction or resurrection after several catastrophic events that took place during the following centuries.

The original Romanesque structure was partially destroyed during the Tartar invasions of 1241, 1259, and 1287, and reconstruction of its present gothic-style exterior was completed in 1320.

During the 14th century St. Mary's began construction of its grand presbytery, which was donated by a wealthy church patrician, and is one of the most outstanding features of this medieval church's interior.

Gothic northern tower and its rood spire (bugler can be seen in upper window)

The church's gothic-broached rood spire on the taller north tower is contrasted by south tower's belfry, which is capped by a Russian Orthodox 'onion-domed' cupola that was added in the 16th century.

Legend of the Kosciol Mariacki North Tower

The basilica's north tower has been used as a lookout since the late 14th century, with a trumpeter signaling danger from the uppermost window of the spire. For several centuries, each day at noon there is a ceremonial bugle call (the hejnal) from the north church tower (photo above), paying homage to the legend of a lone trumpeter who was killed by an arrow to the neck while warning Cracow's citizens of an advancing Tartar invasion.

St. Mary's Basilica Interior

The presbytery features a magnificent interior space, with its souring, narrow nave and clerestory, capped by a beautifully ornate vaulted ceiling.

In the later half of the 14th century an effort was made to reconcile the overall architectural theme of the structure, and construction began on the church's gothic present-day exterior.

A stunning feature of the church's interior is its use of brightly painted wall surfaces that are punctuated by intense blue 'star-fields' that occupy each of the vaulted Gothic ceiling's groined 'shell' spaces. These blue pools of color are bisected by stone ribs which are richly decorated with red and gold.

During the 18th century the interior's Gothic buttress-pillars were embellished with cast plaster decorations and figurine niches that were designed by Italian architect Francisco Placidi.

During the close of the 15th century, St. Mary's underwent a series of improvements under the guidance of an artist from Nuremberg named Wit Stwosz.

One of the masterpieces that Stwosz created for the church was the ornate pentaptych cabinet-altarpiece (above), depicting a scene of the "Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The side 'wing' panels depicting Religious scenes from the lives of both Mary and Christ.