The cathedral tower, visible from a long distance when arriving from the direction of Kraków, sets directions and marks the position of the city centre.

History

The shifting borders as a result of the Third Partition of Poland and administrative changes in Napoleonic times caused some disturbances or even interruptions in the operation of the Tarnów bishopric established in 1786 (by Pope Pius VI) and covering lands that fell under the Austrian occupation. For a short time, the seat of the diocese was Tyniec, and the incumbent Benedictine abbot of the Tyniec monastery was the bishop of Tarnów. Eventually, the capital of the diocese was moved to Tarnów, which was confirmed by Pope Leo XII’s bull. Until the 1840s, the top authorities of the diocese were dominated by German dignitaries and priests and Germanised Czechs. Such bishops as G.T. Ziegler, Count F.M. Chotek, F. de Paula Pisztek arrived in Tarnów from the Habsburg monarchy. Finally in 1836, first Pole, F.K.A. Zachariasiewicz, was nominated bishop. Over time, the national spirit prevailed and the diocese clergy combined pastoral and patriotic work in their mission. This was especially visible in the peiord from 1846 to 1848. The bishop of Tarnów, J.G. Wojtarowicz, was the only diocese head in Galicia who was removed from office by the Austrian authorities on political grounds, namely because of his patriotic action in 1848. In 1986 the Tarnów Diocese celebrated its 200th anniversary.

Description

The former collegiate church, and from 1786 the Tarnów cathedral, is a Gothic temple from the 14th century. It was altered many times. Initially, it was a single-nave structure with chapels added in later periods. In the 19th century, it gained the status of a basilica. The church has an oriented, three-nave design (in the years 1810-1816, converted from a single-nave temple by merging the chapels and vestibule with the central nave) with an elongated chancel closed with a three-sided apse. The tower (72 m high), which dominates the cityscape, dates from the years 1494–1514. It was raised and transformed in the neo-Gothic style between 1889 and 1897. In 1898 a crown was added on the top to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reign of Franz Joseph I). The interior boasts rich furnishings and valuable architectural details. The stellar Gothic vaults of the old chapels draw particular attention. The most valuable Gothic monument is the portal of the south porch; it was made after 1505 and fashioned after A. Dürer’s drawing. The sculptural decoration in the portal archivolt shows Christ the Sorrowful with Madonna and St John the Evangelist and angels with tools known from the Lord’s Passion. The figures of a fox and bear allude to the idea of redemption. Another remarkable Gothic item is the carved canon stalls from the 15th/16th centuries. Among the elements of equipment of supra-regional significance, there is a group of tombstones of the Tarnowski family and the monumental tombstone of the Ostrowskis. The stone wall tombstones represent different phases of Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque art. The tombstone of Barbara of Rożnów is a unique example of Renaissance motifs intertwined with the Gothic tradition. The 1517 tombstone shows a lying female figure within an architectural framework. The tombstone of Barbara Tarnowska née Tęczyńska has a different expression and is considered one of the most beautiful effigies of a woman in Renaissance art. The author of the sculpture, dated to around 1527-1530, is probably Bartolommeo Berrecci, an Italian artist who worked at Wawel Castle and in other locations. The architectural framing of the tombstone was made in Giuseppe Maria Padovano’s studio. The tombstone sculptures of two Jans of the Tarnowski family from around 1530 are also attributed to Berrecci. The two monuments dedicated to Jan Tarnowski and the Ostrogski family, placed opposite each other, outdo the other cathedral tombstones with their size and artistic expression. The tombstone of the military commander and his son, Jan Krzysztof Tarnowski, was made by Giuseppe Maria Padovano in the years 1561-1570. The two-level composition with rich sculptural decorations contains vanitas and triumphal themes, among others, the commander’s military victories. The Ostrogski family represents a later style: it is an example of a Mannerist work. It was made in the years 1612-1620, probably in Wilhelm van den Blocke’s studio in cooperation with Jan Pfister. The tombstone is made from multi-coloured marble and alabaster. The cathedral treasury boasts, among other valuables, very precious works of mediaeval goldsmithing, some from the Tyniec abbey. The most valuable are silver Gothic chalices from around 1480 and a reliquary cross decorated with enamel. There are also interesting chasubles from the end of the 15th century, decorated with rich figurative embroidery.

The site is accessible after services (Sundays 6:00, 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 a.m., 12:00, 3:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m.) and by appointment with the parish office.

Note by Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Kraków 12/11/2014

Bibliography

• Chrzanowski Tadeusz, Kornecki Marian, Sztuka Ziemi Krakowskiej, Kraków, 1982
• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce : Vol. 1: Województwo Krakowskie, [1] Tekst, [2] Ilustracje, ed.: Jerzy Szablowski, Warszawa, 1953
• Łoziński J.Z, Miłobędzki A., Atlas zabytków architektury w Polsce, Warszawa, 1967
• Dutkiewicz J., Grobowce rodziny Tarnowskich w kościele katedralnym w Tarnowie, Tarnów 1932
• Herzig F., Katedra, niegdyś kollegiata w Tarnowie wraz z krótką wzmianką o innych kościołach tarnowskich. Szkic historyczny na pamiątkę 500. rocznicy istnienia tegoż kościoła, Tarnów 1900
• Żmudziński S., Tarnów, Kraków 1975