CHURCH OF THE CARMELITES OF THE ANCIENT OBSERVANCE OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE VIRGIN ON PIASEK
Church of the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance of the Annunciation of the Virgin on Piasek
Ul. Karmelicka 19
31-131 Cracow
Poland
The church is located in Piasek (‘sand’), a former suburb of Cracow. According to tradition, the church was founded in 1087 by the duke of Poland Ladislaus I Herman (ca 1043-1102), who was miraculously healed by the smell of violet flowers blooming on sandy ground. In 1395 co-rulers of Poland, Hedwig of Anjou (1373 or 1374 -1399) and Ladislaus II Jagello (ca 1352 (?)-1434) donated it to the Carmelite order. Around 1500 the image of Our Lady with the Christ Child was painted on the outside wall of the church. In the next century, it became famous as miraculous, was called Our Lady of Cracow and subsequently the church became the most important place of worship of the Virgin in the city. Damaged in 1587 during the siege of Cracow by Maximilian Habsburg (1558-1618), the church was rebuilt and demolished again during the Swedish invasion of 16551. A new building was erected between 1661 and 1673 (Fig. 1).
Façade
On 28 August 1700, Baldassarre Fontana received 135 Polish zlotys and 20 grosze for making statues2. Three statues are over life size. In the middle, in a shallow niche, there is the statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Child (Fig. 2). The statues to her side depict St. Angel of Sicily, holding a palm frond (Fig. 3), and St. Albert from Trapani, pointing to the Virgin Mary with his right hand (Fig. 4). Below each figure is a pair of angel heads. The postures of both saints are modelled on the figures on the upper floor of the high altarpiece, made by Jerzy Hankis (1653 (?)-1715) in 1668-1699, where the same saints are depicted next to the Virgin Mary.
The façade was restored in 1889; it was probably at this time that the missing heads and hands of the side figures were added. The restorers probably confused the figure on the right with St. John of the Cross and mistakenly nailed this attribute to his right hand. Unfortunately, the error was not corrected during the 2009 restoration (Fig. 5, 6, 7).
