Visiting Old Town in Warsaw - A Lot Of Churches

The Old Town (Stare Miasto) is on of the most historic and fascinating parts of Warsaw. It was established at the end of the 13th century, around what is now the Royal Castle, originally the seat of the Mazovian dukes. The Old Town was designed as something of a geometric "chessboard" of streets, and the area has maintained its medieval town-planning scheme.

The Old Town was completely destroyed by the Nazi's during World War II. The area was subsequently rebuilt from rubble with a fastidious eye for historical detail, and is now listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The heart of the area is Old Town market Square (Rynek Starego Miasta), with its distinguished architecture, restaurants, cafes, shops and museums.

The surrounding streets also house museums and feature historic architecture, such as the City Walls, the Barbican and St John's Cathedral.

Churches in the Old Town of Warsaw

Jesuit Church of Our Lady Mary the Merciful in Old Town Warsaw

Built together with a monastery, in a style that mixes Mannerism and Baroque, this church dates from 1621. After a dissolution of the monastery in 1773, the church remained largely unchanged until 1944, when it was almost completely destroyed. The original architecture records survived the war, which enabled this unique church to be accurately reconstructed. Occupying a narrow site, the church has several interesting features. A lantern in the dome floods the presbytery with daylight. The building's Gothic vaults were formed from the cellars of houses that were demolished when the church was built. Among the tombstones in the vaults is the magnificent monument to Jan Tarlo, which was designed by Jan Jerzy Plersch. The entrance to the church features the figure of a bear, which formerly stood in the Piarist church in Dluga Street.

St Martin's Church in Old Town of Warsaw

Dating from the 15th century, St Martin's Church was built for the Augustinian Order, who came to Warsaw in 1352. Its present form is the result of two Baroque-style refurbishments: between 1631 and 1636, and in the mid-18th century. The latter was supervised by the renowned architect Karol Bay, whose designs included a "wave-like" façade. Unfortunately, this was destroyed in World War II.

Nevertheless, a modern interpretation of the Baroque interiors was re-created under the direction of Sister Anna Skrzydlewska. The only original artefact that remains is a partially burned crucifix, which has been hung on a pillar in the nave. St Martin's Church has long played an important role in the history of Warsaw. From the 16th century, it was used by the Mazovian gentry.

In 1950 the church was taken over by a Franciscan orer of nuns, the Servants of the Holy Cross. Their mission is to care for the poor. During the 1980s, members of Solidarity and other anti-Communist movements held clandestine meetings here. Adjoining St Martin's Church, there is a delightful cloistered courtyard, which is part of the nunnery.