Post-Dominican church and monastery
The history of Dominicans in Poland begins in 1220, when Jacek Odrowąż returned to Cracow from Italy, where he received a monastic habit from the hands of St. Dominic himself. Thanks to preacher's activity, the monastery rapidly gained a great popularity. it was brought to Płock in 1234 by Duke Conrad of Mazovia. The St. Dominic's Church founded by the Duke was erected on the advance point of the scarp near the Tumskie Hill. at the same time, the monastery was built, creating with the church a tetragon with a garth in the middle. At that time, a temple built only from brick was novelty. Only the orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans popularized in Poland this kind of building compound, previously unknown. The preserved until today fragments of the walls from the northern side, in the presbytery and the portal, uncovered during a refurbishment, are the oldest brick structure in this part of the country. As early as in 1243, during the invasion of Pomeranians on Płock, the monastery was burnt, but soon it was rebuilt.
The Monastery of Dominicans has additional, tremendous importance for the history of Płock. It remains so far the only certain border checkpoint mentioned in the location deed of 1237 of the new town, established by Duke Conrad of Mazovia.
Preacher's activity of the Dominicans was highly appreciated, and annual theological disputes during the holiday of St. Thomas Aquinas were attracting many clerical and secular guests. A great attraction was installation in 1542 o a clock on the ave-bell, being the second clock in the cathedral town. in the period 1570-1573, the monastery was expanded with a house with a chapel for noviciate. Then, approximately in 1590, the renovation of the church and the monastery was started, in the late Renaissance style. According to the sources the wing from the side of the cathedral was ornamented by a great arcaded facade. Another renovation took place in the 1st half of the 18th century, and the interior received a late-Baroque decor. from among seven altars until today, the main altar, with a crucifix in the top storey, and a Rococo pulpit have been preserved, white color with gilt ornaments. The churchyard was surrounded by a wall with four spacious shrines designated for processions during the Corpus Christi. Today's bell-tower rises at the same place as time ago. Even until the 20th century, also from the east the Dominican hill was cut off with a deep ravine.
In 1805, the Prussian authorities removed the monks transferring the church to the Protestant community, which was established for a considerable group of German officers and settlers. A rich library of the Dominicans and archives were dispersed or destroyed. in 1818, on the scarp a walking garden was arranged, known as the Park on Hills. At that time the monastery was adapted, among others, for residential, school and archive purposes. So far two-floor buildings were gradually undergoing devastation. The Evangelical Church existed there until 1945, later it was taken over and bought out by the Catholic church. The present Parish is named after St. Maksymilian Kolbe.
Since 1919, the south-eastern part of the former monastery has been housing a chapel of the Orthodox Church.
