Description of the attraction
St. Martin's Church is a church built for the Augustinian order, located in the Old Town of Warsaw.
The church was founded together with the Augustinian monastery and the hospital of the Holy Spirit in 1353 at the expense of Prince Zemovit III and his wife Euphemia with the support of Pope Innocent VI. The church itself, a Gothic building made of stone, was built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. The entrance was located from the side of the city walls, and not from the street, as it is today. The church had three altars: the main altar of St. Martin, two side altars: the Holy Spirit and the Holy Doroth.
A fire in 1478 destroyed almost the entire street, including the church. The marble altar, paintings and decor have been lost.
In the 17th century, the Church of St. Martin was reconstructed in the Baroque style by the Italian architect Giovanni Spinola. The main entrance was made from the side of the city street, while the altar, on the contrary, found its place in the southwestern part from the side of the city walls. Early Baroque furniture was created by Jan Henele, the sculptor of King Vladislav IV Vasa. Later, the church was reconstructed again according to the project of Karol Wau. The façade has wavy rococo lines.
During the Second World War, the church was destroyed, and reconstruction began in the post-war years. Today the interior of the church is largely modern.
