St. Florian's Church
The Collegiate Church of St. Florian (Kosciol sw. Floriana w Krakówie)
stands at the northern end of Matejko Square and the former centre of the
mediaeval city of Kleparz, now a district of Kraków.
The Church of St. Florian was built between 1185 and 1216. It was consumed
by fire numerous times in the 12th, 16th and 17th centuries. Notably, during the
Swedish siege of Kraków, General Stefan Czarniecki ordered that the city suburbs
be burned down. However, during the city-wide fire of 1528 which consumed a
considerable part of Kraków, the church — containing the relics of the Saint —
was miraculously saved. Since then St. Florian, usually portrayed as a Roman
legion's officer carrying water, was revered in Poland as a patron saint of
firefighters and chimneysweepers.
The present appearance of the church is the result of a Baroque rebuilding
that followed the Polish-Swedish wars. Since the 16th century the church has
been the University Collegiate. The coronation route began there with the rector
of the Senate of the University welcoming new kings. The church was also the
starting point for royal funeral processions to the Wawel Cathedral.
{hoto 815, May 2007