DOI article:
Pajor, Piotr: Kilka uwag o okolicznościach budowy i formie architektonicznej kościoła Klarysek w Starym Sączu
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44918#0033
Władysław the Short, followed in the footsteps of Kinga and Gryfina, the widów
of Leszek the Black, and settled as a widów in the Stary Sącz monastery; perhaps it
was already fathomable to consider such a possibility earlier, in view of maintain-
ing the traditional role of the Stary Sącz castellany as a widów s keep.52 What is
morę, it should be emphasized that Jadwiga led an active economic activity in the
dominion of the convent, including intensive colonization53, and after her death,
she was buried in an old church in Stary Sącz.54 Besides merely the care for their
predecessors’ foundation, the involvement of Władysław the Short and Jadwiga in
the construction of the church for the Poor Clares could have had another purpose
still: perhaps it might have constituted a reparation of sorts to the Poor Clares, for
the dealings of Władysław s half-brother, Leszek the Black, who was ill disposed
towards the monastery created outside his initiative, and tried by all means, if not
to liquidate, then at least to reduce the monastic dominion.55
The cult of Saint Kinga of Poland
The construction of the church ensued, as it seems, with the intention in mind to
formalize Saint Kingas cult. Perhaps it was already in 1307 - if this were true, the
temporal coincidence with taking the control of Kraków by Władysław the Short,
and the complete change of the political climate after the death of Wenceslas 11
who was inimical to saintly princess is striking indeed - that writing down of her
Miracula began. In turn, Kingas Żywot (Saint s Life) was written most likely in
the 1320S, possibly in the Franciscan milieu, and very probably in Kraków, where
the historiographic literaturę, cultivated for the needs of the court, flourished ex-
tensively.56 Meanwhile, an integral part of the church - as evidenced by the twin
forms of tracery corbel and pear-shaped ribs - is the chapel on the south side of the
nave, originally dedicated to Virgin Mary, and later to Saint Kinga, and according
to tradition, serving as the original burial place of the foundress. In the opinion of
some historians, the Princess of Poor Clares was buried therein immediately after
her death, and thus the chapel itself must have been established even earlier, in the
thirteenth-century phase of the church construction.57 Although this interpretation
Przybyszewski, identified her with Anna, sister of Jadwiga, of whom we merely know that she
had joined the Poor Clares convent in Gniezno (K. Jasiński, Franciszkańskie pochówki Piastów,
in: Franciszkanie w Polsce średniowiecznej, parts 2-3, U. Borkowska et al. (eds.), Kraków 1989,
p. 166); if this is the right diagnosis, it can not be ruled out that Anna did indeed move to the
monastery in Stary Sącz, under the care of her aunt.
52 It should be noted, however, that according to the Kronika katedralna krakowska (Kraków
cathedral chronicie), Jadwiga decided to enter the convent only after the conflict with Casimir
the Great over the coronation of his wife Aldona Anna, whom Jadwiga opposed; M.D. Kowalski
(ed.), Kronika Jana z Czarnkowa, transl. by J. Żerbiłło, Kraków 2012, p. 13.
53 A. Marzec, “Domina terrae sandecensis”. Rola polityczna królowej Jadwigi Łokietkowej w kon-
tekście jej związków z dostojnikami małopolskimi, “Kwartalnik Historyczny”, 107, 2000, pp. 9-13.
54 K. Jasiński, Franciszkańskie pochówki, p. 187.
55 For the theme comprehensively addressed, see: P. Żmudzki, Studium podzielonego królestwa,
pp. 310-331-
56 H. Krzyżostaniak, Trzynastowieczne święte kobiety kręgu franciszkańskiego Polski i Czech, Poznań
2014, pp. 138-139 (including the elaboration of earlier literaturę).
57 Recently: H. Krzyżostaniak, Trzynastowieczne święte kobiety, p. 102; S. Swoboda, Średniowieczne
relikty kultu św. Kingi. Historia i aranżacja kaplicy św. Kingi przy kościele klasztornym sióstr
klarysek w Starym Sączu, in: Varia Mediaevalia. Studia nad średniowieczem w 1050. Rocznicę
Chrztu Polski, K. Marinow, K. Szadkowski, K. Węgrzyńska (eds.), Łódź 2016, pp. 197-198.
Several remarks on the circumstances of the construction and architectural form...
31
of Leszek the Black, and settled as a widów in the Stary Sącz monastery; perhaps it
was already fathomable to consider such a possibility earlier, in view of maintain-
ing the traditional role of the Stary Sącz castellany as a widów s keep.52 What is
morę, it should be emphasized that Jadwiga led an active economic activity in the
dominion of the convent, including intensive colonization53, and after her death,
she was buried in an old church in Stary Sącz.54 Besides merely the care for their
predecessors’ foundation, the involvement of Władysław the Short and Jadwiga in
the construction of the church for the Poor Clares could have had another purpose
still: perhaps it might have constituted a reparation of sorts to the Poor Clares, for
the dealings of Władysław s half-brother, Leszek the Black, who was ill disposed
towards the monastery created outside his initiative, and tried by all means, if not
to liquidate, then at least to reduce the monastic dominion.55
The cult of Saint Kinga of Poland
The construction of the church ensued, as it seems, with the intention in mind to
formalize Saint Kingas cult. Perhaps it was already in 1307 - if this were true, the
temporal coincidence with taking the control of Kraków by Władysław the Short,
and the complete change of the political climate after the death of Wenceslas 11
who was inimical to saintly princess is striking indeed - that writing down of her
Miracula began. In turn, Kingas Żywot (Saint s Life) was written most likely in
the 1320S, possibly in the Franciscan milieu, and very probably in Kraków, where
the historiographic literaturę, cultivated for the needs of the court, flourished ex-
tensively.56 Meanwhile, an integral part of the church - as evidenced by the twin
forms of tracery corbel and pear-shaped ribs - is the chapel on the south side of the
nave, originally dedicated to Virgin Mary, and later to Saint Kinga, and according
to tradition, serving as the original burial place of the foundress. In the opinion of
some historians, the Princess of Poor Clares was buried therein immediately after
her death, and thus the chapel itself must have been established even earlier, in the
thirteenth-century phase of the church construction.57 Although this interpretation
Przybyszewski, identified her with Anna, sister of Jadwiga, of whom we merely know that she
had joined the Poor Clares convent in Gniezno (K. Jasiński, Franciszkańskie pochówki Piastów,
in: Franciszkanie w Polsce średniowiecznej, parts 2-3, U. Borkowska et al. (eds.), Kraków 1989,
p. 166); if this is the right diagnosis, it can not be ruled out that Anna did indeed move to the
monastery in Stary Sącz, under the care of her aunt.
52 It should be noted, however, that according to the Kronika katedralna krakowska (Kraków
cathedral chronicie), Jadwiga decided to enter the convent only after the conflict with Casimir
the Great over the coronation of his wife Aldona Anna, whom Jadwiga opposed; M.D. Kowalski
(ed.), Kronika Jana z Czarnkowa, transl. by J. Żerbiłło, Kraków 2012, p. 13.
53 A. Marzec, “Domina terrae sandecensis”. Rola polityczna królowej Jadwigi Łokietkowej w kon-
tekście jej związków z dostojnikami małopolskimi, “Kwartalnik Historyczny”, 107, 2000, pp. 9-13.
54 K. Jasiński, Franciszkańskie pochówki, p. 187.
55 For the theme comprehensively addressed, see: P. Żmudzki, Studium podzielonego królestwa,
pp. 310-331-
56 H. Krzyżostaniak, Trzynastowieczne święte kobiety kręgu franciszkańskiego Polski i Czech, Poznań
2014, pp. 138-139 (including the elaboration of earlier literaturę).
57 Recently: H. Krzyżostaniak, Trzynastowieczne święte kobiety, p. 102; S. Swoboda, Średniowieczne
relikty kultu św. Kingi. Historia i aranżacja kaplicy św. Kingi przy kościele klasztornym sióstr
klarysek w Starym Sączu, in: Varia Mediaevalia. Studia nad średniowieczem w 1050. Rocznicę
Chrztu Polski, K. Marinow, K. Szadkowski, K. Węgrzyńska (eds.), Łódź 2016, pp. 197-198.
Several remarks on the circumstances of the construction and architectural form...
31