The Corpus Christi Basilica (

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

: ''Bazylika Bożego Ciała''), located in the

Kazimierz Kazimierz (; la, Casimiria; yi, קוזמיר, Kuzimyr) is a historical district of Kraków and Kraków Old Town, Poland. From its inception in the 14th century to the early 19th century, Kazimierz was an independent city, a royal city of the ...

district of

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, Poland is a Gothic

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...

founded by King

Casimir III the Great Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He w ...

in 1335.

History

The basilica was erected in stages beginning in 1340 until about the mid-15th century. It was intended as a monastery church, which explains the large plot of land on which it stands, and the presence of a monastic cemetery next to it. In 1404 King

Władysław II Jagiełło Jogaila (; 1 June 1434), later Władysław II Jagiełło ()He is known under a number of names: lt, Jogaila Algirdaitis; pl, Władysław II Jagiełło; be, Jahajła (Ягайла). See also: Names and titles of Władysław II Jagiełło. w ...

gave it to the

Canons Regular of the Lateran The Canons Regular of the Lateran (CRL), formally titled the Canons Regular of St. Augustine of the Congregation of the Most Holy Savior at the Lateran, is an international congregation of an order of canons regular, comprising priests and lay bro ...

, a congregation which he had brought in from

Kłodzko Kłodzko (; cz, Kladsko; german: Glatz; la, Glacio) is a historic town in south-western Poland, in the region of Lower Silesia. It is situated in the centre of the Kłodzko Valley, on the Eastern Neisse river. Kłodzko is the seat of Kłodzko Co ...

.Kraków Travel: Kościół Bożego Ciała
with map, and photographs. ''Krakowskie Biuro Festiwalowe''. Retrieved October 26, 2011.

Interior

The interior of the church is a mixture of

Polish Gothic The Gothic architecture arrived in Poland in the first half of the 13th century with the arrival of the Dominican and Franciscan orders. The first elements of the new style are evident in the foundation of the Dominican Trinity church in Kraków ...

and impressive

Polish Baroque The Polish Baroque lasted from the early 17th to the mid-18th century. As with Baroque style elsewhere in Europe, Poland's Baroque emphasized the richness and triumphant power of contemporary art forms. In contrast to the previous, Renaissance styl ...

architecture with structural features such as a large gilded Baroque

high altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...

, a boat-shaped pulpit (1750), and the organ. The church was robbed clean and the interior utterly devastated by soldiers of the 1655 Swedish invasion (

the Deluge The Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6–9 of the Book of Genesis) is the Hebrew version of the universal flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre- creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microc ...

), The Basilica of Corpus Christi (Kosciol Bozego Ciala)
with photographs, including opening hours, at ''virtualtourist.com'' which explains the prevalence of Baroque in its current decoration. The church is said to contain one of the most beautiful Baroque

choir stalls A choir, also sometimes called quire, is the area of a church or cathedral that provides seating for the clergy and church choir. It is in the western part of the chancel, between the nave and the sanctuary, which houses the altar and Church tab ...

in Central Europe. Corpus Christi Church (Kościół Bożego Ciała)
including location map by ''Inyourpocket.com''

Bartolommeo Berrecci Bartolomeo Berrecci (1480 Pontassieve, Italy - 1537 Kraków, Poland) was an Italian Renaissance architect who spent most of his career in Poland. Studies and career in Poland He learned architecture in Florence, first through apprenticeship ...

, the Renaissance artist who designed

Sigismund's Chapel Sigismund's Chapel ( pl, kaplica Zygmuntowska) is a royal chapel of the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland. Built as a funerary chapel for the last members of the Jagiellonian Dynasty, it has been hailed by many art historians as "the most beautifu ...

Wawel The Wawel Royal Castle (; ''Zamek Królewski na Wawelu'') and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established on ...

, is buried there. Corpus Christi Basilica houses the largest organs in Krakow. The main instrument was built between 1958 and 1963 using some elements of the old organ dating back to the 1770s. It was designed for 83 pitches and consists of two parts. The main organ placed on the choir and side organs located in the chancel. The organs have a total of 5950 pipes and 25 bells. They have the ability to play works written on an echo basis. The sound of organs 70 meters away from each other gives the listener a unique experience. Corpus Christi Basilica Krakow Poland

References

External links

Kraków Tourism information about Krakow

Protect Kraków Heritage Campaign

Map: Kraków Heritage Under Threat

Info about Corpus Christi Basilica in Krakow Wiki
{{coord, 50, 02, 58, N, 19, 56, 40, E, display=title, type:landmark_region:PL-KR, name=Corpus Christi 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Poland Roman Catholic churches in Kraków Gothic architecture in Poland