
Tourists, who happen to came inside the church of St.Francis quite often are surprised by colorful polichromy, and splendour stained-glass windows
made by our leading artist from Art Nouveau period -Stanisław Wyspiański.
The fire from 1850 destroyed most of the old Gothic church from 13th century. When the reconstruction of the new walls came close to the end, the friar commissioned the polichromy and the windows to young, 'promising' painter from Krakow.
Wyspiański designed windows between 1897 and 1902, and the glass was made in Insbruck in the years 1899 and 1904, according to the artist's design with one exception.
On one of the windows Wyspiański wanted to put the images of three ladies connected with the order of St.Francis of Assisi - Saint Salomea,Blessed Jolanta and Saint Kinga.
The monks however decided later to put only the image of St. Salomea, who brought to Poland order of St.Clare, the image with the surrounding flowers were made by the factory artist from Austria,
and unfortunately damage a little the overall harmony of Wyspiański's design.
There are eight windows, one above the main entrance, and seven in the presbytery, one of them completely covered by the main altar.
The windows from left show :
1) the element of fire with fire itself destroying wooden trunks
2) red lilies- the symbols of fire
3) St.Salomea
4) non-visible (a working ploughman under the clouds -symbolic elements of earth and wind )
5) St.Francis of Assisi praying to Jesus
6) symbols of water irises
7) water flowers white lilies
The most impressive stained glass window is also the last one designed by the artist, and shows God the Father at the moment of Creation of the World.
Three small windows with flower motives on the southern side of the church have been designed in 1904 by Tadeusz Popiel.
During the sunny day it is worth to find some time in the afternoon to have look into the church, as sun shining thhrough gives colorful reflections all over the interior of the church.
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