Church of St Augustine And St John the Baptist is a Baroque Roman Catholic church in the Zwierzyniec neighbourhood. Together with the adjoining monastery of the Norbertine Sisters, in the bend of the Vistula River, the church forms the second-largest historic complex of the city, after the Wawel Castle. The monastery has a valuable collection of manuscripts, old prints, historic textiles and handicrafts.
The monastery was founded in the second half of the 12th century, and consecrated probably in 1181. According to tradition, it was founded by the heir of Zwierzyniec, knight Jaksa Gryfita, who, after his return from the Crusades to the Holy Land, built the monastery and the church in 1162.
According to other sources, it is not at all certain; however, it is generally accepted that the congregation of St Norbert was founded in Zwierzyniec between 1144 and 1165. It is considered likely that this was the first monastery of two orders. In the early years of its existence, the monastery was inhabited by both brothers and nuns. The division into male and female orders, with the latter remaining here to this day, could take place after the invasion of the Tatars in 1241.
The complex was almost completely destroyed, and only remnants of walls survive of the Romanesque church and monastery, including a Romanesque portal in the porch under the tower. Between 1255 and 1259 the church was rebuilt of brick, again in the Romanesque style. It had one nave and a rectangular sanctuary. According to tradition, the church was again destroyed by the subsequent Tatar invasions of 1260 and 1287.
The walls and towers that survive to this day are from the times of Władysław Jagiełło. They served a defensive purpose as the monastery was situated outside the gates of the city. In the 18th century, the monastery fortifications stored weapons and acts that were used in the Kościuszko Uprising of 1794.
In the 16th century, the church suffered two serious fires which necessitated major refurbishment. The effort was undertaken between 1596 and 1626 and gave the church most of its present appearance.
Early years of the 20th century brought fundamental changes in the immediate vicinity of the monastery. In order to prevent repeated floods in this part of Krakow, it was decided to carry out adjustment of the nearby Rudawa River. This took place between 1903 and 1910. The new estuary was laid out at right angle to the Vistula River, which resulted in cutting off part of the monastic buildings and the destruction of the last mill in the city. Also a bridge of an exaggerated height was erected on Rudawa, and a road was built on the dike and the embankment. As a result, the monastery was in a hollow, losing many of its scenic values. This sparked protests from city sights enthusiasts; however, practical matters prevailed.
The current design of the church, which is one of the most beautiful buildings in Krakow, dates from the 18th. The interior consists of a rectangular nave and chancel ended with a straight wall. Classical colonnade surrounding the sanctuary was designed by Father Sebastian Sierakowski.
In the nave there are Baroque altars, including the Blessed Bronisława altar with a reliquary and a painting dedicated to the Blessed.
In the apse there is the image of St John the Baptist by Władysław Łuszczkiewicz. Above the altar are organs visible from the aisle as two decorative cabinets on either side of the window.
The Norbertine convent is attributed to a wide range of traditions and legends. In the octave of Corpus Christi, the march of Lajkonik goes toward the Main Square, because as mentioned by one of the versions of the legend, right at the foot of the convent, long centuries ago the Tatars were captured.
A long time ago, there was ferry moored nearby the convent. It was popular among merchants as it laid on their route to Krakow and was located in a convenient place to cross the Vistula River. One night a huge storm broke the line and the ferry drifted with the river’s current. The sisters from the convent planned to have a new one built. However, before they had the time to do it, they were awoken one night by the sound of the alarm bell. When they ran outside terrified, they saw merchants galloping on horseback, followed by the Tatar Horde. They all headed toward the marina, not knowing that the ferry was not there. The water was too high and the torrent too rapid to allow for a safe passage, but heedless of that, both the merchants and the Tatars in pursuit of them rushed into the stream. The nuns watched in horror as all but one drowned. The lucky merchant who was the only one to survive decided to found a bell for the convent. The abbess ordered the bell from a well-known bell maker in Olkusz. When the bell maker brought the bell, everyone was surprised to see that the bell was cracked. Two more bells were cast, but each of them was cracked, too. Legend has it that this drove the bell maker to suicide. One of the flawed bells was finally hung in the monastery. People said that it was as incomplete as the lives of those who drowned in the Vistula River. The bell rang every night with ten strokes, calling the sisters to pray for the souls of the drowned. This tradition lasted until 1917, when the Austrians confiscated the bell.
Another version says that the Tatars destroyed the bell and drowned it in the Vistula. Since then, on St John’s Eve the waters split, the bell appears and chimes until midnight comes.