Former Jesuit Monastery
The Jesuits were brought to the city in 1581-1582 by the Archbishop of Gniezno, Stanisław Karnkowski, who built a college (1583-84) and a church (1587-95) for them next to his palace. Both were designed by Giovanni Maria Bernardoni. Further Jesuit buildings (schools, dormitories and a printing press) followed in the 17th century. This is how the imposing complex, which comprises the adjoining archbishop’s palace in addition to the church and monastery buildings, came to be built. The Jesuit holdings were cassated in 1773. The post-Jesuit building was temporarily occupied by the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God in 1788-1793 and later by the Evangelical community. The western part of the complex was rebuilt as a barracks for the Cadet Corps in the late 18th century. The head office of the voivodeship, and later governmental, authorities was housed in the archbishop’s palace and collegiate church, both rebuilt in 1824-1825. The former Jesuit temple is now a garrison church and the monastery buildings house national and local government departments.
The early-baroque St. Stanisław and St. Wojciech Church is a three-nave basilica with a short, closed, many-sided presbytery and galleries over the aisles. The short tower in the extended left aisle by the presbytery was built in the early 17th century as an astronomical observatory. The nave and the presbytery are covered by barrel vaults with lunettes and the aisles and galleries by barrel-groin vaults. The baroque and rococo furnishings date from the 17th-18th centuries. The presbytery contains the early-baroque 17th-century tomb of the founder of the church and college, Abp. Stanisław Karnkowski, Primate of All Poland.
Today, the classicist building of the former college adjoins the church from the east. The old Cadet Corps building can be found on the western side. The façades of both buildings, like the church, face ul. Kolegialna.
Address:
ul. Kolegialna 2
62-800 Kalisz
Tel. +48 62 757 57 59
