Dominican Church and Convent of St. James, Sandomierz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dominican Church and Convent of St. James,Shrine of Blessed Sadok and 48 Dominican martyrs, Shrine of Our Lady of Rosary |
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View from the Sandomierz Main Square
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship / Roman Catholic Diocese of Sandomierz |
| Region | Sandomierz |
| Rite | Latin |
| Location | |
| State |  Poland |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | around 1211 |
The Church of St. James in Sandomierz, Poland, is a very old and special church. It's also known as the Shrine of Blessed Sadok and 48 Dominican martyrs. This church is one of the oldest brick churches in Poland, and maybe even in Europe! It's also the second oldest Dominican monastery (a place where monks live) in Poland.
The church has a unique style called Romano-Gothic. This means it mixes older Roman building ideas with the newer Gothic style. You can see beautiful brick decorations on the outside walls. Inside, the stained glass windows are very pretty and were made between 1910 and 1918.
Contents
The Dominican Order and Its History
This church was the second "priory" (a type of monastery) started in Poland by Saint Hyacinth. The Dominicans are a group of Catholic priests and brothers.
A Sad Event in History
In 1260, during an invasion by a group called the Golden Horde, a terrible event happened here. Sadok and 48 other Dominicans were killed by soldiers. Because of this brave act, Polish Dominican friars (brothers) are allowed to wear special red belts with their religious clothes.
Our Lady of the Rosary
The church also has a holy picture of Our Lady of the Rosary. This is a very important title for Mary, the mother of Jesus, especially for the Dominican Order.
Returning Home
Later, during a time when Poland was divided by other countries, the Dominican friars were forced to leave Sandomierz. This happened after a big event called the January Uprising. But don't worry, they came back to Sandomierz in 2001!
The Lesser Polish Way of St. James
This church is a very important starting point for a famous walking route called The Lesser Polish Way. This path leads all the way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. In the past, many pilgrims (people who travel for religious reasons) from Eastern and Northern Europe would stop here on their journey.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Santiago (Sandomierz) para niños
- Church of the Assumption of Mary in Tarnobrzeg - another Dominican church about 14 kilometers south.
- ex-Dominican Church of St. Mery and St. Hyacinth in Klimontów - about 15 kilometers southwest.
- Second Mongol invasion of Poland - learn more about the historical event mentioned.
