Field Cathedral of the Polish Army

During the 17th century, the Piarist friars were granted a special privilege by the monarchy to acquire a sizable piece of land west of Warsaw's Old Town. This area, situated along the newly paved Miodowa Street, offered more space compared to the densely populated town while remaining close to the contemporary city center. The friars established the Collegium Nobilium, a renowned school of that era and a precursor to Warsaw University. Around 1660, they commenced the construction of a new church intended to serve both the students and their teachers. The design of this church, likely created by Constantino Tencalla, an Italian architect active in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the time.

The church's funding primarily came from King John Casimir of Poland and was meant to replace a former wooden church, Saint Prym and Felicjan, which had been destroyed during the Deluge by the Swedes. However, due to the economic devastation caused by wars with Sweden, Muscovy, and the Cossacks, Poland was in a state of ruin, and the king's abdication marked the end of the ambitious construction project. As a result, the construction process dragged on until 1682. Additional interior work took another two decades, and it was not until 1701 that the church was finally consecrated by Mikołaj Święcicki, the bishop of Poznań.

The church carried on the traditions of its predecessor, Saint Prym and Felicjan, while also adopting a new patron saint, Holy Mary of Victories. A painting of Holy Mary the Gracious was imported from Faenza, and relics of two Catholic saints were donated by Pope Urban VIII, having been brought from Rome. However, due to the prolonged construction period, the church's design quickly became outdated, as late baroque gave way to classicism in European architecture. In 1730, the church underwent a reconstruction based on the plans of Józef Fontana.

After the failed November Uprising against the Russian Empire, the church was seized by Russian authorities in 1834 and transformed into an Orthodox church known as the Holy Trinity. Antonio Corazzi and Andrzej Gołuński reconstructed it between 1835 and 1837, adopting a style reminiscent of Rastrelli's baroque churches. During this renovation, the original interior design was largely destroyed and replaced with Orthodox frescoes and a grand iconostasis. The towers were adorned with sizable onion domes. The nearby buildings of the former Piarist monastery and Humański's Palace were also reconstructed in the Russian style.

Following the departure of the Russians in 1915, the German army utilized the church as a depot. After Poland regained its independence in 1918, the decision was made to restore the church to its original appearance. From 1923 to 1927, Oskar Sosnowski oversaw the reconstruction, basing his design on 17th-century drawings. Once refurbished, the church was re-consecrated as a Catholic church and elevated to the status of a cathedral, serving as the seat of the field bishop of the Polish Army.

During the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, the cathedral became a prime target for Luftwaffe attacks. The preserved western tower was used as an observation post, and fierce battles were fought over the ruins. The monastery cellars and church crypts were converted into makeshift field hospitals. Tragically, German aerial bombardment on August 20, 1944, destroyed the remaining portions of the church, including the hospital.

After the war, restoration efforts led by Leon Marek Suzin and a team of architects took place between 1946 and 1960. Although the church continued as the seat of the bishop of the army, religion held little significance within the Communist-led Polish military. However, with Poland's sovereignty restored in 1989, the official role of the Field Bishop of the Polish Army was reinstated. Consequently, the church regained its cathedral status and became the seat of the Military Ordinariate of Poland, one of three cathedrals in present-day Warsaw.

The Polish Army's central church, the cathedral, hosts significant religious events for the armed forces. Its grand front facade showcases a sculpture of Holy Mary flanked by two towers. Stone tablets honor notable military units, while an anchor and propeller symbolize different branches of the armed forces. Inside, the main altar holds a sculpture of Our Lady Queen of the Polish Crown, surrounded by a steel grating adorned with military decorations and plaques. The Chapel of the Polish Soldier serves as a mausoleum, and the chapel to the right commemorates the victims of the Katyn massacre. The cathedral also features symbolic paintings and bronze depictions of historic battles.