With most eyes and cameras pointing towards Wawel it’s easy to miss St. Bernard’s, a church and monastery founded by St. John of Capistrano (1386-1456), a Franciscan priest who made a name for himself by among other things encouraging anti-Jewish pogroms. Constructed in the second half of the 15th century, St. Bernard’s was meant as a refuge for those wishing to atone for their sins and live in accordance to the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. Fearing it would be commandeered as a strategic base by the invading Swedish troops the Poles burnt the church to the ground in 1655, later rebuilding it in its current baroque style. The church is currently undergoing renovations and is open on a Sunday but you are requested not to wander around with a camera during mass.