Church of St Michael the Archangel and St Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr and Pauline Fathers Monastery, Skałka, which means 'a small rock' in Polish, is a small outcrop in Kraków where the Bishop of Kraków saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów was slain by order of Polish king Bolesław II the Bold in 1079. This action resulted in the king's exile and the eventual canonization of the slain bishop.

Originally, a Romanesque church was built there. King Casimir III raised a new gothic church in its place and since 1472 this shrine has been in the possession of a monastic community of Pauline Fathers. In 1733-1751 the church received a baroque decor. It is one of the most famous Polish sanctuaries.

The crypt underneath the church serves as a 'national Panthéon', a burial place for some of the most distinguished Poles, particularly those who lived in Kraków.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Skałeczna 15, Kraków, Poland
See all sites in Kraków

Details

Founded: 14th century
Category: Religious sites in Poland

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Michael Jones (7 months ago)
The Church is free, you pay a small donation to visit the Cript which is beautiful just like the Church. Fascinating history for the church, such lovely and peaceful grounds. Well worth a visit.
Sathish Jothikumar (8 months ago)
One of the most beautiful and ornate Gothic cathedrals in this part of Europe. Easy to spend a long time in contemplative meditation admiring the details. The bell tower was not open at this time for reconstruction.
Mustafa Arikan (8 months ago)
I mean it looks very big but is small. There are two floors. One crypt and one church. Both of the. Are very peaceful. The garden is also very nice. No entry fee.
Ann Lynn (10 months ago)
Peaceful and beautiful church with wealth of history. My husband and I attended the Sunday mass at 12:30 pm. To pray and be able to reflect here is a blessing for us while visiting Krakow.
Floyd Cooper (10 months ago)
Sumptuous church with resplendent interior and a mineral water spring in the yard.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.