Rafał Trytek

Archcathedral of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.

The first specific date related to the Cathedral of Warsaw, recorded in documents, is 1339. At that time, the Warsaw parish church dedicated to the Beheading of St. John the Baptist became the venue for a court held by delegates of Pope Benedict XII. The verdict ordered the Teutonic Knights to return the plundered lands to Poland and pay compensation. By decision of Pope Boniface IX, the Warsaw parish church was elevated to the dignity of a collegiate church between 1398 and 1406. This was achieved thanks to the efforts of Bishop Wojciech Jastrzębiec and Prince Janusz the Elder from the Piast dynasty, who made Warsaw the capital of his duchy and built a great brick temple there. In 1596, Sigismund III Vasa decided to move the capital of Poland from Kraków to Warsaw. As a result, Warsaw gained in significance, and the Church of St. John became a central place for the political and religious life of the capital. In the 17th century, the Gothic temple was rebuilt in the Baroque style. At that time, it was one of the richest churches in Poland, filled with works of art created through the patronage of kings, nobility, and the municipal patriciate. The main altar was funded by King Sigismund III Vasa between 1611 and 1618. The stalls, which were funded by John III Sobieski, commemorated the victorious relief of Vienna in 1683. The archcathedral began to perform important functions in the state, including as a place for royal coronations and funerals. In 1620, the coronation of Sigismund III Vasa’s son, Władysław IV Vasa, as King of Poland took place in the Church of St. John. This event had a dual character, serving as both a religious and a political symbol of the power of the Vasa dynasty.