By the end of the 13th century, on Silesian lands there were 20 monasteries of the Franciscan Order, founded by local princes, who often chose the Franciscan churches to their ancestral mausoleums. After Wroclaw and Krakow, Opole was another city on Polish lands where the Franciscans had settled.
FEATURES, ORIGINS, VALUES AND LEGAL PROTECTION
The funding process and the beginnings of the convent in Opole is unknown due to lack of source documentation or even any traces of foundational document. The first mentions about the existence of the Franciscan Church in Opole appeared in 1287 and from that time the fate of the church was closely linked with the history of the convent. The Church and the monastery form one free-standing building with cloisters. It is located between Zamkowa Str. and Square of the Liberty (Plac Wolnosci) and limited by the Mlynowka Canal from the southwest. There is a crypt under the presbytery comprised of several chambers, in which princes and the monks from the convent in Opole were buried. In 1627, the remains of the Piast dynasty were laid in one communal coffin after the devastation of the church by an army of Protestants. A Gothic mural depicting the Crucifixion has been preserved in the crypt, which is dated to the first quarter of the 14th century. After World War II, six scenes with images of death were painted on the walls of the underground crypt.
TOUR ORGANISER
Order of the Lesser Brothers
(Franciscan Monastery)
Plac Wolnosci 2
45-018 Opole
Tel: +48 77 454 89 09
Gates of the Monastery
Opening hours, between 08.00 and 12.00 and between 13.15 and 17.00.
Telephone number to arrange a tour: +48 77 454 89 09
furta@opole.franciszkanie.pl
http://www.opole.franciszkanie.pl/
ACCESSIBILITY OF FACILITIES BY VISITORS
Dates and opening hours:
Underground tour is available to organized groups, between 10 and 25 people at any one time.
From Monday till Friday, between 10:00 and 17:00 with prior arrangement at the gates of the monastery and at least 3 days in advance
The route is electrically illuminated.
The underground site is not suitable for people with physical disabilities.
Sightseeing only with a monastery guide or with a representative of PTTK Opole
There is an option of a guided tour of the entire Church complex, but then a voluntary donation to the church is requested.
The church is open for people with physical disabilities, but only by prior arrangement, by use of the wheelchair ramp from Ul Minorytow.
The doors open every day, usually on Sundays, allow entry only to the church and chapels.
We recommend comfortable, athletic shoes and warm clothing in the summer.
Appropriate dress is recommended for places of worship.
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