An Intersection Of Jesus, The Apostles, The Jesuits, Poland And Man

The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul (Kosciól Świętych Apostołów Piotra i Pawła) in Kraków is a Baroque Jesuit church known best for the statues of the 12 disciples lining the fence at the front. It is the oldest Baroque building in Krakow. Construction was begun in 1597 by Jozef Britius for the Jesuit Order, and completed by Giovanni Trevano. It is one of the most faithful examples of transplanting the architecture of the famous Gesu Church in Rome to foreign soil, with a fine Baroque facade and great dome. It is said that the Jesuits spent so much money on the ornate white facade and the sculptures that they ran out of money to finish the rest of the building. Indeed, behind the impressive Baroque facade is a church made from ordinary brick. The stone statues of the 12 Apostles on the fence, looming larger-than-life-size, are replicas of the 18th-century late Baroque originals. The latter can be seen in the side yard. The interior is not as impressive as the exterior, but worth a look. The crypt contains the sarcophagus of Father Peter Skarga, S.J., a famous 17th-century Jesuit preacher.

Link (here) to read the blog post by Wojtek, his post is entitled Apostołowie zimową porą