Church of St. Casimir the Prince
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Casimir the Prince in Kraków
, Poland
– with the adjacent Franciscan
monastery
and the catacombs
– is located at ul. Reformacka 4 street in the Old Town district (Stare Miasto).
Members of the Catholic
Order of Franciscans known as "Little Brothers" arrived in Kraków in 1622 and settled at the outskirts of the town in Garbary (1625). Their church was completed in 1640 thanks to a donation from Zuzanna Amendówna, bequeathed around 1644 along with the miracle painting of Madonna displayed today at the side altar of the new church. The first church of the Order was destroyed during the Swedish Deluge. In 1658 monks settled at the Reformacka street in a small manor given to them by Stanisław Warszycki, the castellan
of Kraków. In 1666 suffragan bishop Mikołaj Oborski laid the foundation stone for the current church. The chief benefactor of the church and the monastery was Franciszek Szembek, a local noble and the castellan of Kamieniec
. The newly built Baroque
church was consecrated in 1672.
Inside the church there are late Baroque altars originating in 1745–1748. A crucifix stands atop the high altar in accordance with the basic rule of the Order. The Patron of the church, St. Casimir, has his fascimile painted at the side altar (first on the left). This image was most probably painted in 1660-1670 and is assumed to be the work of the Gdańsk
painter Daniel Schultz. Paintings on the vault of the church date from 1904 and are the work of Aleksander Mroczkowski.
The monastic crypt
s with mummified bodies (image gallery) are made available for public viewing only once a year on All Souls Day
(November 2), the day after All Saints Day. In the past, the mummies attracted crowds of visitors, causing unforeseen climatic challenges.
The catacombs
in the crypt under the Church are among some of the most secret places in the city. Unique climatic conditions found in the basement caused the bodies of the dead to undergo a process of natural mummification whereby they remain in an excellent state of preservation. Among them, hidden away since 1667, are the remains of many monks and members of Polish noble families such as Wielopolscy, Szembekowie, and Morsztynowie. Monastic books reveal that in total almost 1,000 bodies were placed in the catacombs over the years, among them around 730 lay people and 250 monks. The remains of the monks – all sitting down – are placed right under the chancel
of the church, without coffins, directly on earth and sand. In a glass coffin there is the body of Father Sebastian Wolicki. Among the most notable corpses is the body of Countess Domicella Skalska, who was employed by the Church as a housemaid for 20 years. She revealed her noble origin shortly before her death in 1864.
In the crypt there is also the body of a Napoleonic soldier, formerly dressed in full uniform, with a sabre
and rifle
. The monks' oral tradition holds that the soldier was seriously injured and dragged himself to the monastic gates in 1812. He died shortly afterwards, in the infirmary, without regaining consciousness. During World War II
the Germans took away the weapons and set up an air raid shelter in the catacombs.
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
– with the adjacent Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
and the catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
– is located at ul. Reformacka 4 street in the Old Town district (Stare Miasto).
Members of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Order of Franciscans known as "Little Brothers" arrived in Kraków in 1622 and settled at the outskirts of the town in Garbary (1625). Their church was completed in 1640 thanks to a donation from Zuzanna Amendówna, bequeathed around 1644 along with the miracle painting of Madonna displayed today at the side altar of the new church. The first church of the Order was destroyed during the Swedish Deluge. In 1658 monks settled at the Reformacka street in a small manor given to them by Stanisław Warszycki, the castellan
Castellan
A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...
of Kraków. In 1666 suffragan bishop Mikołaj Oborski laid the foundation stone for the current church. The chief benefactor of the church and the monastery was Franciszek Szembek, a local noble and the castellan of Kamieniec
Kamieniec
Kamieniec is a common Slavic toponym, usually denoting a place founded on a rocky mountain or stony embankment of a river or stream...
. The newly built Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
church was consecrated in 1672.
Inside the church there are late Baroque altars originating in 1745–1748. A crucifix stands atop the high altar in accordance with the basic rule of the Order. The Patron of the church, St. Casimir, has his fascimile painted at the side altar (first on the left). This image was most probably painted in 1660-1670 and is assumed to be the work of the Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
painter Daniel Schultz. Paintings on the vault of the church date from 1904 and are the work of Aleksander Mroczkowski.
The catacombs
On the outside wall of the Monastery there is an old, historic "bell for the dying" rung only when someone close to the Little Brothers dies. The bell is protected by a small roof. Below the bell is a plaque of black marble, written in reference to its foundation in 1750.The monastic crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
s with mummified bodies (image gallery) are made available for public viewing only once a year on All Souls Day
All Souls Day
All Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. In Western Christianity, this day is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some churches of Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches also celebrate it. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes several All Souls' Days during the...
(November 2), the day after All Saints Day. In the past, the mummies attracted crowds of visitors, causing unforeseen climatic challenges.
The catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
in the crypt under the Church are among some of the most secret places in the city. Unique climatic conditions found in the basement caused the bodies of the dead to undergo a process of natural mummification whereby they remain in an excellent state of preservation. Among them, hidden away since 1667, are the remains of many monks and members of Polish noble families such as Wielopolscy, Szembekowie, and Morsztynowie. Monastic books reveal that in total almost 1,000 bodies were placed in the catacombs over the years, among them around 730 lay people and 250 monks. The remains of the monks – all sitting down – are placed right under the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
of the church, without coffins, directly on earth and sand. In a glass coffin there is the body of Father Sebastian Wolicki. Among the most notable corpses is the body of Countess Domicella Skalska, who was employed by the Church as a housemaid for 20 years. She revealed her noble origin shortly before her death in 1864.
In the crypt there is also the body of a Napoleonic soldier, formerly dressed in full uniform, with a sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
and rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
. The monks' oral tradition holds that the soldier was seriously injured and dragged himself to the monastic gates in 1812. He died shortly afterwards, in the infirmary, without regaining consciousness. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Germans took away the weapons and set up an air raid shelter in the catacombs.