According to the hypothesis formulated by Szczęsny Skibiński in his book published in Poznań in 1977, the first Franciscan church in Krakow was built as a mausoleum. The functions of this place of worship, as well as the history of the arrival and settlement of the brothers of St. Francis, must be examined in the historical context of the Order's development in Central Europe. After the general chapter in 1221, St. Francis sent a group of twenty-five brothers to Germany. The chronicler Jordan de Giano attributes the credit for introducing the Franciscan Order to the countries of Central Europe to the Italian monk, John de Pian del Carpini. John de Pian, as provincial of Saxony, sent brothers to Hungary, Bohemia, Poland and Norway. The Franciscans reached Prague in 1232. The analysis of Jan de Pian's memories contained in "Historia Mongolorum" regarding how he founded monasteries allows us to establish that he established friendly relations with Prince Henry the Bearded in Wrocław. After arranging accommodation conditions, he brought monks from Bohemia to Wrocław in 1232–1234, and to Kraków in 1237. To settle in Kraków, they obtained the support of the church authorities and the princes of Silesia. The subsequent enlargement of the church and monastery on land belonging to the church indicates that the Franciscans received this area from the Krakow chapter. After the Tatar invasion in 1241, the Franciscans resumed the construction of the church and monastery. The lack of an individual founder proves that these buildings were built thanks to the donations of benefactors, townspeople and princes, i.e. thanks to a collective foundation. The religious and pastoral character of the monastery and church known as St. Francis was consecrated during the chapter of the provinces of Bohemia and Poland, which took place there in 1249. Prince Bolesław, his wife Kinga and the inhabitants of Krakow participated in services held in the Franciscan church.
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