Dominican Church

Gothic Dominican basilica from the 13th century, rebuilt after an 1850 fire

The Dominican Basilica of the Holy Trinity dates from the 13th century and is one of the largest and most important Gothic churches in Krakow. Its exterior is relatively plain — the real interest is inside, where a series of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque chapels accumulate along the aisles, each sponsored by a different noble family and each decorated according to its era. The overall effect is of a condensed history of Polish religious art.

The church also holds the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, which contains a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary attributed with protecting Krakow from the Swedish invasion in 1655. The church has strong associations with the Dominican intellectual tradition — Thomas Aquinas's major works were introduced to Poland through this institution in the 13th century. Services are held daily; the church is open to visitors throughout the day.

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The church was badly damaged in the great Krakow fire of 1850, which destroyed much of the southern Old Town. The reconstruction involved importing large amounts of marble from Italy, and the result is an unusual combination: a Gothic structure with Baroque side chapels and a 19th-century marbled interior that is more Roman than Polish in feeling. The tomb of Leszek the Black, who died here in 1288, is one of the oldest surviving royal memorials in Poland.

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