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St Mary's Church (Kosciol Mariacki)

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mightywease
mightywease
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5 out of 5
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St. Mary's Church

  • September 29, 2004
  • Rated 4 of 5 by sknight_co from Littleton, Colorado
St. Mary's Church

On the square, the church has two towers of unequal heights. The legend is that two brothers each built a different tower, and then one killed the other out of jealousy before jumping to his own death.

The taller tower is topped wtih a gold crown, and actually was used by government, not the church.

There is a live bugle call every hour on the hour from the taller tower. It is interrupted mid-way to honor the legend of the bugler shot in the throat with an arrow during a Tatar invasion.

From journal Modern Medieval Krakow

Editor Pick

St. Mary's Church

  • June 19, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by mightywease from Carshalton, United Kingdom
St. Mary's Church

The construction of the gothic Kosciol Mariacki was begun in the 13th century. The two towers of unequal height, which gives the church its recognizable profile, were finished at different times. The taller of the two with its fairytale castle crown was completed in 1478 and was the city’s watchtower. This is the tower from which the bugle call (hejnal) is sounded on the hour. The shorter tower was finished in 1548. I am not sure that words can adequately describe the majesty of St. Mary's Church. Indeed, when we visited an awed silence was the first reaction to this glorious building. The towers give the outside of church an idiosyncratic air, this asymmetry prompting feelings of friendliness and comfort. The building looks welcoming. The interior of the church is just amazing. Highly decorated in bright colours: reds, blues, greens and gold. The choir stalls are backed by low-relief carvings of intricate detail. For me the most astonishing part of the church is the High Altar, made by Wit Stwosz between 1477 and 1489. The alter screen is like a large cabinet with huge doors which can be opened out. Both the outside and inside of the alter screen are wonderfully carved and decorated, showing scenes from the lives of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The figures are lifelike, the detail fantastic and the whole effect vigorous. The huge outer doors are opened at midday so it is worth visiting the church a little before that so you can witness both the outer and inner decoration as well as the ceremony when the doors are open. However, be aware that this is a popular time to visit the church, so it may be busy.. I also particularly like the fact that a separate area is provided for worshippers. I enjoy visiting religious buildings whether they be churches, mosques, synagogues but am often worried that my tourism is distracting for people who have come to worship. Therefore, it was refreshing to see that the feelings of both worshippers and visitors were catered for in a very sympathetic way.

From journal Krakow - History, Culture and Legends

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