St. Andrew's Church, Kraków
Church in Kraków, Poland / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Church of St. Andrew (Polish: Kościół św. Andrzeja) in the Old Town district of Kraków, Poland located at Grodzka Street, is a historical Romanesque church built between 1079 and 1098 by a medieval Polish statesman Palatine Sieciech. It is a rare surviving example of the European fortress church used for defensive purposes.
Church of St. Andrew Kościół św. Andrzeja | |
---|---|
Location | 54 Grodzka street Kraków |
Country | Poland |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Palatine Sieciech (also a client) |
Style | Romanesque, Baroque |
Completed | 1098 |
Specifications | |
Materials | Stone |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Kraków |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | iv |
Designated | 1978 |
Part of | Historic Centre of Kraków |
Reference no. | 29bis |
Designated | 1994-09-08 |
Part of | Kraków – historic city center |
Reference no. | M.P. 1994 nr 50 poz. 418[1] |
Built in Romanesque style, it is one of the oldest buildings in Kraków and one of the best-preserved Romanesque buildings in Poland. It was the only church in Kraków to withstand the Mongol attack of 1241. Along the lower part of the broader section of its façade are small openings that served as defensive windows at a time when the church was a place of refuge from military assaults.
From 1320 it was used by the Religious Order of Poor Clares. The building has been renovated many times. The present Baroque interiors have decorations by Baltazar Fontana, paintings by Karol Dankwart and gilded altars. The Baroque domes atop the octagonal towers were added in 1639.