Church of St. Francis of Assisi

Franciscan Gothic church from the 13th century, with Art Nouveau murals by Wyspiański

The Franciscan church just south of the Main Square is one of Krakow's oldest ecclesiastical buildings — founded in the 13th century and rebuilt repeatedly since. The church is important enough historically, but what makes it unmissable are the extraordinary Art Nouveau interior decorations created by Stanisław Wyspiański at the turn of the 20th century.

Wyspiański, the painter, playwright, and designer who was the central figure of the Polish Young Poland movement, designed the stained-glass windows and the entire decorative scheme of the nave between 1895 and 1904. The result is a complete Art Nouveau environment — floral murals cover every wall surface, the windows glow with symbolic imagery, and the main apse window shows Wyspiański's famous interpretation of God the Father. It is one of the most complete and distinctive Art Nouveau church interiors in Europe. Entry is free; the church is an active place of worship, so visit respectfully and avoid peak mass times.

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A story
The church holds a stained-glass window designed by Stanisław Wyspiański in 1900 that depicts God the Father as a turbulent figure emerging from swirling creation — described by one critic as "among the greatest works of Symbolist art in Europe." Wyspiański designed every element of the church's interior decoration, including the polychrome wall murals of flowers and plants that climb the walls to the ceiling, and the overall effect — especially when light comes through the stained glass on a sunny afternoon — is extraordinary.

Other places in Old Town (Stare Miasto)