Church of the Poor Clares

Carpathian Mountains


The Church of the Poor Clares was where Stary Sącz was born. Commenced in Gothic style in 1285 and completed in 1332, it later gained opulent baroque fittings. The traces of its creator, Saint Kinga (1234–92), are clearly visible: the baroque frescoes in the nave depict scenes from her life, and her chapel on the south side boasts a 1470 statue of her on the altar. The pulpit (1671) on the opposite wall is an extraordinary piece of art.

Adjacent to the church is the late-Renaissance Convent of the Poor Clares, whose order has resided here continuously since the days of Kinga. Kinga's tomb, in a chapel outside the church, is a significant site of pilgrimage.


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