Architecture Around the World ......................Poland - Table of Contents

Church of Saints Peter & Paul
Cracow (Krakow), Poland

The church of St. Peter and St. Paul is an enormous Baroque edifice built at the beginning of the 17th century and strongly influenced by Italian Baroque architecture, especially by the churches of the Gesu and of Sant' Andrea della Valle in Rome.

It was the first Baroque church in Cracow, built in response to the arrival of the Jesuits in Poland in 1583. The Society of Jesus was first based at the church of St. Barbara, but at the end of the 16th century the new church was begun. This had to be demolished shortly after construction began because of severe miscalculations.After further vicissitudes the new commission was given to Giovan Battista Trevano, who also built the St. Stanislaw mausoleum in the Cathedral on Wawel. Above the crossing is a large dome, recently restored,. The dome was completed in 1619 and its decoration in 1633.


Photos and their arrangement © 2008 Chuck LaChiusa
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