Костел «На Піску» Church "On the Sand"

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One of the favorite temples of the inhabitants of Krakow, in which the Carmelite fathers keep two miraculous images of the Virgin - "Scapular" and "Sand", which is also called "Krakow mistress". Her image was painted directly on the wall of the church by an unknown monk in the late XV century. According to legend, while working, the author suddenly received another task. He stopped work, and when he returned to it, the image on the wall was completely executed.

According to legend, the first church on this site was built in the XI century at the expense of Prince Vladislav Herman in gratitude for the miraculous healing. It is said that the Mother of God came to him in a dream and advised him to find a place behind the Krakow gates, where violets grow on the sand. Compresses of sand healed the sick ruler and he ordered to build a temple. But there are no studies and documents that would confirm this legend and the existence of the church in the Romanesque style.
In fact, the construction of the temple is associated with the monarchs of St. Jadwiga and Wladyslaw II Jagiello, who at the end of the XIV century ordered the construction of the church. Construction began in 1395. Two years later, the church was transferred to the Order of Carmelites, who came from Prague. The Gothic church was severely damaged in 1587 during the siege of Krakow by Emperor Maximilian Habsburg and rebuilt at the expense of Anna Jagiellonia. It was once again damaged during the Swedish invasion and was rebuilt in the Baroque style in the second half of the 17th century. Restoration works were carried out in 1929-1939 and in 1983. Since 1997, the church has been granted the status of a small basilica. The facade of the church is similar to the facade of the Church of Del Gesu in Rome. On the south wall is "Golgotha" - a complex of three sculptures of the XVIII century. The main altar is an example of one of the largest wooden carvings in Poland.
Many centuries ago, a stone was built into the wall of the church, which is now protected by a lattice. Above it is the inscription: "Queen Jadwiga's foot". According to legend, this wise and kind lady, later a saint, accompanied by the world visited the construction of the church. She noticed a worker who was very upset and asked him why he was sad. He replied that his wife was ill and had nothing to pay the doctor. Then the queen put her foot on the stone, unbuckled the gold buckle from her shoe and gave it to the stonemason. When she left, her footprint was carved on the stone like soft clay. The builders cut this stone and built it into the wall of the church. The date 1390 is embossed next to it. The stone is still in this place in honor of the good heart of Queen Jadwiga.