Sacral Jewels
Silence, the air of mystery and contemplation, the scent of incense, motes of dust floating in the air, the ancient walls exuding cool… Let’s embrace the spirit of sacrum in royal Kraków! The programme of the two-day-long Cracovia Sacra Night (14-15 August) takes us on a tour of some of Kraków’s most beautiful churches and their grounds, reveals sacral antiquities and artworks, and presents concerts and exhibitions.
We visit Wawel Cathedral to learn about discoveries being made in the crypts, the Pauline Monastery opens the doors to its library and museum and hosts the exhibition Saint Stanislaus – Patron Saint of Poland, while the Carmelite Church displays the priceless manuscript Carmelite Gradual dating back to 1644. Churches and monasteries across Kraków opens their doors to visitors; we’ll admire the Church of the Conversion of St. Paul, the Convent of the Capuchin Poor Clares, the Museum and Archive of the Blessed Maria Angela Truszkowska, the house of the Blessed Zofia Czeska, the Capuchin Monastery and the Church of Corpus Christi. We will also visit Staniątki presenting the Treasures of the Benedictine Sisters in Staniątki (early prints, chaplets, liturgical vessels, monstrances, reliquaries and liturgical robes) and the Tyniec Abbey, marking the start of the route of monastic libraries prepared as part of the Kraków UNESCO City of Literature programme.
The event also includes an extensive cultural programme. The Sanctuary of St. John Paul II presents an outdoor multimedia spectacle The Saint from Wadowice: John Paul II prepared by Michał Zabłocki, while at the Church of St. Casimir, the Loch Camelot Theatre performs the premiere of their chamber oratorio Signposts for the Lost… Cracovian Roadside Chapels set to texts by authors including Norwid, Staff, Wyspiański and Miłosz. The programme also includes performances by Teatr74 at the Pod Jaszczurami club and the multimedia misterium Gladius at the Church of St. Catherine. The church also hosts a performance by the New Ideas Chamber Orchestra from Vilnius. We will discover how the singular locations highlight the wealth and diversity of Polish sacral music. The Basilica of St. Mary resounds with Early Odes to Virgin Mary as part of the cycle Musica Divina. At the Bernadine Church, Nina Nowak and Krzysztof Hotloś perform Beautiful Arias and Sacral Songs by Great Masters, while the Church of St. Mark resounds with Sławomir Czarnecki’s Vespers performed by the Kantorei Sankt Barbara Choir and the L’Estate Armonico Orchestra under the baton of Wiesław Delimat. Make sure you stop at the Church of the Brothers Hospitallers to listen to music performed by the Galicja Ensemble.
This year’s Cracovian Nights cycle is brought together with an overarching graphic design centred around the phases of the Moon. The cycle includes one more instalment this year: Poetry Night held in October. (Barbara Zając, Karnet magazine)
