Catholic church of St. Anne (Krakow)

The first wooden church was erected in the XIV century until 1363. It was first mentioned in a letter to Casimir the Great to Pope Urban V asking for indulgence . The first temple burned down in 1407, after which a brick church in the Gothic style was built on this site. The founder of the temple was King Vladislav II Jagello , and on his initiative he was given in 1418 under the supervision of the Cracow Academy . In 1428, during the ministry of the parish priest Jan of Wielun ( Polish Jan z Wielunia ), the presbytery was expanded.

In 1473, the professor of the Cracow Academy Jan from Kent was buried in the church. In 1535, Bishop Pyotr Tomitsky declared the church a collegiate and established a collegiate chapel with him. In 1539, Jan’s body was transferred from Kent to a new coffin, and in 1549, a new Renaissance tombstone was placed at the expense of the rector of the Krakow Academy, Jakub Fredel ( Polish: Jakub Fredel ). In 1680, Ian from Kent was canonized by Pope Innocent XI . As the cult of the saint spread, the professors of the Academy decided to demolish the temple and build a new, larger one, which could accept all the pilgrims who visited the grave of Jan from Kent.

The second temple was dismantled in 1689 due to the Cracow Academy. In the same year, the cornerstone of the new temple was laid. The initial design of the church, proposed by the architect Tilman of Gameren , referred to the plan of the Roman church of San Carlo ai Catinari , which was a model for architects of the university church of Paris Sorbona . However, professors at the Krakow Academy rejected the project and offered Tilman the temple of Sant Andrea della Valle , which belonged to the order of theatrical rivals of the Jesuits, as an example. Krakow scholars wanted to eclipse the Krakow Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul , which was then under the control of the Jesuits. The new project, developed by Tilman, was approved and construction work began. Since 1692, the construction was led by priest Sebastian Piskorski - a parish priest and at the same time professor at the Cracow Academy. In 1703, the church was consecrated by Bishop Casimir Lubensky . At the end of the 18th century, the temple towers received new late baroque spiers according to the design of the priest Sebastian Serakovsky , similar in shape to the spiers of the clock tower on Wawel .

The facade is two-story with two side towers topped with late baroque spiers. The shape is similar to the facade of the church of Sant Anastasia in Rome. The second tier is crowned with a triangular pediment , in which a bas-relief representing the All-Seeing Eye is placed. Above the main portal there is an inscription in Latin - an appeal to St. Anne , the patroness of the temple. Above the window of the second tier is a bas-relief depicting the Madonna and child. Above the side entrances are bas-reliefs of angels . In the niches of the facade are placed 4 figures of saints:

• Saint Casimir (upper tier, left),
• Florian Lorch (upper tier, right),
• Bernard of Clairvaux (lower tier, left),
• Jan from Kent (lower tier, right).

The integrity of the facade composition is designed so that it looks good in an oblique perspective from the narrow St. Anne Street, since during the construction of the church Kraków Plyant did not exist yet, and the view from there was blocked by the city wall.

The construction is one-nave with side chapels and a transept and with a directly enclosed presbytery. The nave has a cylindrical vault with lunettes , and an octagonal dome with a drum rises above the intersection of the nave and transept. The chapels are connected by transitions, so they resemble side aisles, which is why the church is often confused with the three-nave. Chapel 6, including 2 screwed domes.

The chapels are dedicated to:

• St. Peter
• St. Catherine of Alexandria (with a dome)
• Saint Sebastian
• St. John the Baptist
• The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (with dome)
• St. Joseph the Betrothed

Additional chapels are decorated in transept:

• Chapel of the Adoration of Christ taken from the cross (in the northwestern branch of the transept)
• Chapel of St. Jan from Kent (in the southeastern transept branch).

The magnificent interior decoration (including the main altar) was designed and executed by Balthazar Fontana . The temple was painted by Karol Dankwart , as well as Karol and Innokenty Monti . The church is considered the most beautiful building in Poland in the Baroque style.

Presbytery

The main altar was designed by Balthazar Fontana and executed by Jan Liszkowicz ( Polish Jan Liszkowic ). It contains the image of Anna-himself-the third , the brush of the Hedgehog Semiginovsky-Eleuthera . The figures of the saints on the sides ( St. Stanislav and St. Wojciech ) were piled by the Fontana in 1701. Benches performed in 1730 by Jan Olbrosovich ( Polish Jan Olbrosowicz ). On their backs in 1741, Shimon Chekhovich wrote 4 scenes:

• Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Meeting of St. Anne and St. Joachim
• Nativity of the Blessed Virgin
• Saint Anna with Mary and Saint Joachim.

The chair with the angel supporting it was sculpted in 1727 by Anthony Fronskevich .

The font was cast in 1646 by Jakub Erlicher . This is the only preserved item of equipment of the old church.

On the front wall is the Annunciation , and on the vault in 3 regular spans the Holy Spirit (in stucco ), Immaculate (written), Christmas (in stucco).

On the side walls of the presbytery opposite each other depicted in the technique of grisaille Mary and Jesus . They are signed by Bible quotes:

Mary: Domus Dei = House of God
Jesus: Caput Anguli = Cornerstone .

Nave

In the nave, the motif from the presbytery is continued in the grisaille technique, the images of the twelve apostles are signed not by their names, but by the names of precious stones:

• The Apostle Peter - Jasper
• Apostle Paul - Sapphire
• John the Evangelist - Sardonyx
• Andrew the First - Called - Chalcedony
• Jacob Zebedee - Emerald
• Jacob Alfeev - Carnelian
• Levi Matthew - Chrysoprase
• Apostle Thomas - Chrysolite
• Apostle Thaddeus - Amethyst
• Apostle Philip - Beryl
• Apostle Bartholomew - Topaz
• Simon Cananit - Hyacinth

The names of the stones are attributed to the apostles according to the 12 pillars of Heavenly Jerusalem described in the Revelation of John the Theologian . The apostles are placed on columns that symbolize the columns of the Church.

On the walls of the nave above the lasso leading to the chapels, the Sibyls are depicted in the form of pagan prophets who foresaw the coming of Christ. Above the Sibyls are stuck putts holding scrolls with the names of members of the Christ clan. Above them are golden-painted figures of angels that hold shields with Mary's attributes.

The vault depicts the Apocalyptic Lamb, 24 elders, seraphim, and also a book with seven seals. On the choir there is a representative 26-tone organ from the beginning of the 18th century, built at the expense of the priest Grzegorz Ochabowicz ( Polish: Grzegorz Ochabowicz ), a revelation of John the Theologian is depicted above the choir. On the sails is an allegory of cardinal virtues , and on the dome is an image of the Glory of God, as well as the names of the first four ecumenical councils .

Transept

In the right, that is, southeastern branch of the transept is cancer of St. Jan from Kent, made in the form of a monumental stone altar according to the project of Balthazar Fontana. The coffin with the remains of the saint is dragged by 4 figures of men forged in stone, and symbolizing 4 faculties of the Cracow Academy:

• Theological,
• Philosophical
• Legal,
• Medical.

On 4 columns arranged around the altar, there are figures of 4 holy Janes:

• John the Baptist
• John the Theologian
• John Chrysostom
• John of Damascus .

On the coffin is a bust of Jan from Kent by Frantisek Wyspanski of the 19th century.

Polychrome on the walls, depicting scenes from the life of St. Yana from Kent, executed by Innocent Monti, and the Glorification of St. Jan from Kent written by Carol Dankwart .

Votive objects are placed on the sides of the crayfish, between which there are Turkish bunchuk conquered by the troops of Jan III Sobieski at the Battle of Vienna .

On the left side of the transept is a classic monument to Nikolai Copernicus , opened in 1823, erected at the expense of priest Sebastian Serakovsky, who is also the author of the project. This is the first monument to Copernicus in Poland. There is also a stucco play by Balthazar Fountains and paintings of the Savior in Power , Arma Christi , Sacrifice by Abraham Isaac and the Copper Serpent , Finding the Life-Giving Cross of st. Helen and the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross by Emperor Heraclius . An epitaph is placed on the wall to Juliusz Slowacki , made by Edward Stechlik and Wladyslaw Oleszczinski ( medallion ) by order of his mother . In the transept, the Servants of God Jerzy Tseselsky (in the southeastern branch of the transept) and Bishop Jan Petrashko (in the northwestern branch) are buried.

1. Michał Rożek, Przewodnik po zabytkach Krakowa, WAM, Kraków 2012
2. Stanisław Bargieła, Kolegiata św. Anny w Krakowie. Interaktywny przewodnik 3D (CD) STB Studio, Kraków 2007
3. Wiesław Heflik, Lucyna Natkaniec-Nowak, Anna Świgoń Kamienna symbolika religijna w kościołach barokowych na przykładzie Kolegiaty pw. św. Anny w Krakowie (link not available)

• The site of the parish of St. Anna
• An unofficial site collegiate St. Anna in Krakow - history and gallery of pictures
• A virtual walk around the church of St. Anna