The painting of Our Lady of Piasek – “The Lady of Kraków” in the chapel by the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the most popular images of the Mother of God in the city.

A painting on plaster presents Our Lady with Infant Jesus adored by angels. It was originally displayed on an outer wall of the Carmelite Church in the district of Piasek and is rumoured to be of miraculous origin. A legend mentions an anonymous Carmelite painter who stepped away from his job to pray, only to return and see that an invisible hand had completed his work. Since its inception around 1500 the painting quickly became famous for miracles, which is why it was moved into the safety of a chapel built for it by the church. Angelic singing is rumoured to have been heard within, and heavenly lights were seen. Queen Bona Sforza (wife of King Sigismund the Old (Zygmunt Stary) used to pray here twice a week. The preservation of the painting, despite the major damage that the church suffered during the siege of Kraków laid by Archduke Maximilian Habsburg in 1586, is counted among miracles. The painting was saved again in 1655 during the Swedish Deluge: at that time Our Lady of Piasek is believed to have extended her robe to protect the area around the church against the ravaging fire, and the painting itself survived the destruction of the church by the invaders. In the later years, throngs of pilgrims arrived in the rebuilt sanctuary, bringing in prayers and precious votive offerings. Stopping here, among others, was King John III Sobieski himself on his way to his victory in the Battle of Vienna in 1683, in which he vanquished the Turks threatening Europe at the time. Our Lady of Piasek is also credited with the salvation of Kraków from the Russian invasion during the Confederation of Bar in 1768. On the bicentenary of the victory of Vienna, in 1883, among national celebration, the painting was solemnly crowned with papal crowns designed by Jan Matejko.

A Baroque prayer reads/goes: “You are like a River cheering up the capital city of Kraków, make every citizen of the city capable of saying: despite the plentiful pain in my heart, your consolation has cheered up my soul”.

The Baroque chapel with the painting of Our Lady of the Scapular, which according to tradition saves the faithful from the penalty of Purgatory, stands next to the chancel of the Carmelite Church.