Базиліка святого Хреста Basilica of the Holy Cross

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The Basilica of the Holy Cross is a church in Warsaw, located on Krakó w Suburbs Street, belonging to the Catholic Order of the Lazarists. Originally, the Chapel of the Holy Cross stood on this site, mentioned in 1510. In 1525, a wooden church stood here, and in 1653 it was transferred to the monastic Order of the Lazarists. The modern building was erected in 1679-1696 in the Baroque style. Its designer was the royal court architect Jó zef Szymon Bellotti, and the founders were Abbot Szczuka and Primate Michał Stefan Radziejowski, who consecrated the church on October 14.1696. The towers, covered with late Baroque domes, were made by Jó zef Fontana. The facade was designed by Jakub Fontana, decorated with statues by Jan Jury Plersch. The urns containing the hearts of Fryderyk Chopin and Wł adysł aw Reymont are buried in the columns of the church. There are also epitaphs of Bolesł aw Prus, Ignacy Kraszewski, Juliusz Sł owacki, and Wł adysł aw Sikorski.
In the first days of World War II, the church was destroyed. The paintings "The Last Supper" and "The Crucifixion" were destroyed, the facade of the church, the vaults, the High Altar, the altar of St. Roch and St. Vincent de Paul were destroyed. The church was rebuilt in 1945-1953. In 2003, Pope John Paul II granted the church the status of a Minor Basilica.
In front of the church in 1858, a statue of Jesus Christ carrying the cross, cast from concrete in the workshop of Ferrante Marconi, was installed. In 1887, a mentally ill man damaged the sculpture. It was recreated in bronze in 1889 in Rome by Pius Velonsky. During the fighting during World War II, the bronze figure of Christ fell. The Germans took it away for smelting, but threw it on the road. The statue reappeared in front of the church in 1945.