Tourist routes in Gdańsk: Churches and cathedrals
Rafał Konkolewski/CC/Wikimedia/Royal Chapel
Royal Chapel - exactly 330 years old. Adjacent to the Basilica of St. Mary's, and built from 1678 to 1681, it was designed by royal architect Tylman Gameren, and constructed by the Gdańsk Barthel Ranisch builders. The baroque sculptures on the façade, which continue to be touching, are the work of Andreas Schlüter Junior. The Royal Chapel is today the only baroque church in Gdańsk's Main Town. Its royal seal is not accidental, since it was founded on the initiative of King Jan III Sobieski. It was used as a temporary chapel for the Catholic parish of St. Mary's Church, which had remained in the hands of the Protestants. Opposite the chapel, at the intersection of Grobla I i Świętego Ducha streets, stands the fontanna Czterech Kwartałów (fountain of the Four Quarters), which was unveiled in 2009. This work by the sculptors Ewa Koprowska and Lucyna Kujawa, symbolizes the four historic quarters of Gdańsk: Szeroki ('Broad'), Wysoki ('High'), Rybacki ('Fisheries') and Kogi. It is guarded by four lions which are symbols of Gdańsk.