Ołtarze kościoła Franciszkańskiego w Krakowie

Historia i ikonografia

Abstract

ALTARS OF THE FRANCISCAN CHURCH IN CRACOW. HISTORY AND ICONOGRAPHY

The analysis shows that from the end of the 15th until the 1850s, the church’s sacred space was shaped by 10 altars. The last arrangement has seven of them. The time frame of their existence was determined by the disasters that hit the church (the fires in 1655 and 1850). The oldest were the altars dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary; St. Anthony; St. Anne; the Transfiguration of the Lord; St. Agnes; St. Salomea; St. Hieronymus; and Holy Mother of the Crowns (also called the Rich). After the church was rebuilt after a fire in 1655, the interior was filled with altars dedicated to the Immaculate Conception; St. Anthony; St. Anne; Transfiguration; Our Lady of Consolation (Merry); St. Louis; St. Bonaventure; St. Lawrence; St. Diego de Alcalá; the Magi. After 1850, the following altars appeared: Immaculate Conception; St. Anthony; St. Maximilian (originally Nicodemus); the Heart of Jesus (originally St. Joseph of Cupertino); St. John Paul II (originally St. Anne; St. Joseph; Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary); and Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Our Lady the Merry or Merry Virgin Mary). All through these changes, the church always contained altars dedicated to Our Lady Immaculate and St. Anthony. And there was always an altar dedicated to the Mother of God, under various callings.