St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków

St. Mary's Basilica
Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven
Exterior of the St. Mary's Basilica
Location	Kraków
Country	Poland
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Founder(s)	Casimir III the Great
Architecture
Architectural type	Gothic-style
Completed	1347

Church of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven (also known as St. Mary's Church; Polish: Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Maryi Panny (Kościół Mariacki)) is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century (originally built in the early 13th century), adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz).

On every hour, a trumpet signal—called the Hejnał mariacki—is played from the top of the taller of St. Mary's two towers. The plaintive tune breaks off in mid-stream, to commemorate the famous 13th century trumpeter, who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. The noon-time hejnał is heard across Poland and abroad broadcast live by the Polish national Radio 1 Station.

St. Mary's Basilica also served as an architectural model for many of the churches that were built by the Polish diaspora abroad, particularly those like St. Michael's and St. John Cantius in Chicago, designed in the Polish Cathedral style.

The church is familiar to many English-speaking readers from the 1929 book The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly.

According to chronicler Jan Długosz St. Mary's Bacilica in the Main Square in Kraków was founded in 1221–22 by the Bishop of Kraków, Iwo Odrowąż. The building was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Poland. Between 1290–1300 the new early Gothic church was built on the remaining foundations. It was consecrated twenty years later, in 1320.