St. Michael's Square

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The former parish church of All Saints stood at the intersection of Grodzka Street and Market Square (today's St. Michael's Square). It was probably built between 1440-1470.

The temple was erected in the Gothic style with a tower towering over the city about 60 meters high, crowned by a copper figure of St. Michael the Archangel holding a sword more than two fathoms high (about 4 meters).

In 1523 the temple was given the dignity of a collegiate church. The church had 11 side altars, 12 Gothic windows, a ceiling with a cross vault and three chapels added. Under the church and next to it in the cemetery were numerous tombs, the most extensive of which was that of the Ostrogskis. A burial cemetery and church houses were located right next to the church, while the property was surrounded by a wall.

The slow decline of the temple began from the second half of the 18th century. In 1785, under the pretext of church reforms, the Austrians decided to close and auction off the church, but at the request of the townspeople it was allowed to reopen in 1787. In 1800 the church lost its dignity as a collegiate church and was turned into a parish church, while the treasury was stripped for the needs of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Deprived of income and valuables, the church fell into disrepair. On June 2, 1804, a tragedy occurred: during the octave of Corpus Christi, a splinter fell from the top of the tower and pierced the vault, killing 22 people. After this event, the church was sold by the Austrians at auction in 1808. The temple and church buildings were demolished, while the bricks were sold for the construction of houses.

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