Saints Peter and Paul Church, Baroque church in Old Town, Kraków, Poland
Saints Peter and Paul Church is a place of worship in baroque style located in the Old Town district of Kraków. The two-story limestone facade displays niches holding statues of Jesuit saints and the coat of arms of King Sigismund III.
Construction began in 1597 under Giovanni de Rossis and concluded in 1619 when Giovanni Trevano finished the work, creating the first baroque building in Kraków. The Jesuits used the church as the center of their activities in the city.
Twelve sandstone apostles stand on fence posts around the church perimeter, carved by David Heel in 1722 following Kacper Bażanka's design. These figures line the entrance area and mark the boundary between the sacred ground and the street.
The entrance is located at the main facade facing Grodzka Street, and the church is open to visitors during daytime hours. The narrow side aisles and central nave offer different views of the altar and interior furnishings.
Inside hangs a Foucault pendulum measuring 46.5 meters (153 feet) in length, the longest of its kind in Poland. Demonstrations take place every Thursday, showing how the pendulum slowly shifts direction as the Earth rotates beneath it.
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