St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków

Exterior of the Basilica

St. Mary's Basilica (Polish: Kościół Mariacki), is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century (originally built in the early 13th century), adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz).

On every hour, a trumpet signal—called the Hejnał mariacki—is played from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers. The plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. The noon-time hejnał is heard across Poland and abroad broadcast live by the Polish national Radio 1 Station.^{[1] [2]}

St. Mary's Basilica also served as an architectural model for many of the churches that were built by the Polish diaspora abroad, particularly those like St. Michael's and St. John Cantius in Chicago, designed in the so-called Polish Cathedral style.

The church is familiar to many English-speaking readers from the 1929 book The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly.

Photo gallery

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  View of St. Mary's Basilica at night
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  Gothic Altarpiece by Veit Stoss
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  Interior of the Basilica
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  Pulpit inside
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  View from Mikolajska Street

See also

• Jan Matejko 19th century design contribution
• Polish Cathedral style
• Roman Catholicism in Poland
• Roman Catholic Marian churches

Notes

1. ^ Let's go: Europe, 1979 by Harvard Student Agencies ISBN 0312387083 page 553
2. ^ Michał Malinowski 2008 Polish folktales and folklore ISBN 1591587239 page 69

External links

• Krakow: information about, and photographys of St Mary's church in Krakow
• Krakow: everything about St. Mary's Church
• The Hejnał mariacki from St. Mary's Church in Mp3 format (listen)
• Marek Strzala, Kosciol Mariacki - the basilica of the Virgin Mary in Krakow

Coordinates: 50°03′42″N 19°56′21″E / 50.06167°N 19.93917°E / 50.06167; 19.93917