Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Kraków, Poland

The Dominicans, led by St. Jacek, came to Kraków from Bologna in 1222.  They were brought by the Kraków bishop, Iwo Odrowąż, who gave the Dominicans the partly wooden, partly brick parish church of the Holy Trinity, moving the parish to the new St. Mary’s Church.  On March 12, 1223, the church was consecrated. The Dominicans began building a new Gothic church and monastery after the Mongol invasion in 1241.  Originally a three-nave hall, it was later rebuilt into a basilica at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries.  Until the mid-19th century, one of the church’s characteristic external features was a brick bell tower, standing freestanding in front of the church façade at the end of Stolarska Street.  After the city fire of 1850, only the burnt-out walls remained of the church bell tower, which were demolished during the church’s reconstruction.  In 1876, a neo-Gothic porch was added to the church façade in place of the tower.  This protected the 14th-century Gothic portal of the main entrance, which was renovated in 1893.  Among other things, a number of damaged stone fragments were replaced at that time. The church’s glory days were ended by a devastating fire in Kraków in 1850.  Except for a few chapels, the interior was completely destroyed by fire, and the nave vault collapsed. Immediately after the fire, a comprehensive reconstruction of the church began.  Work lasted from 1850 to 1884, led by architect Teofil Żebrawski. 

The burned-out walls were so weak that part of the façade, which was in danger of collapse, had to be demolished.  After the reconstruction began, it was discovered that the lower sections of the walls and pillars were too damaged to support the weight of the new vault.  As a result, wooden props were used to temporarily support the pillars, and metal hoops were used to clamp them. The pace of reconstruction was very slow in 1853–1854, but, among other things, new stained glass windows by the German artist Hübner were brought in. The following year, construction work resumed, shoring up the cracked walls and covering them with a vault supported by brick pillars, interspersed only with stone.  After the supports were removed from under the vault arches of the main nave, on the morning of April 12, 1855, part of the vault and walls collapsed, damaging the adjacent house.  This construction disaster shocked Krakow’s public.  Criticism was particularly directed at the austerity policy in selecting materials.  To ensure proper oversight, a special conservation committee was established in 1856.  After raising the necessary funds and clearing the rubble, it was not until 1858 that work began on laying new foundations for the pillars.  Three years later, the side aisles were roofed, and in 1863, the main nave.  Basic reconstruction work was completed in 1872.  As a result, the church’s appearance underwent significant changes, which drew criticism from artistic circles.  Sculptor Edward Stehlik, among others, was particularly vocal.  Later, the work of Prior Father Mariano Pavoni, an amateur architect, also faced numerous attacks.  He used the Neo-Gothic style to create the interior and exterior. During this time, the current main altar, stalls , and confessionals were built .  After reconstruction, the church was consecrated in 1884. Since 1957, the church has had the dignity of a minor basilica. On October 19, 2016, a funeral mass and farewell to film director Andrzej Wajda were held in the basilica. In January 2018, a comprehensive renovation of the temple’s interior began.