The Gothic architecture arrived in Poland in the first half of the 13th century with the arrival of the Dominican and Franciscan orders. The first elements of the new style are evident in the foundation of the Dominican Trinity church in Kraków (1226–1250), built by Bishop Iwo Odrowąż. Rebuilding of the Wrocław Cathedral, started in 1244, was another early manifestation of the Gothic style. The earliest building in Poland built entirely in the Gothic style is the chapel of St. Hedwig in Trzebnica (1268–1269), on the grounds of a Cistercian monastery.
Gothic architecture was preceded by the Romanesque style, and some Romanesque buildings still survive, mostly in the north and west of the country (see here). Most Gothic buildings in Poland are made of brick, and belong to the Baltic Brick Gothic, especially in northern Poland (see Significant Brick Gothic buildings in Poland). Nonetheless, not all Gothic buildings in Poland are made of brick. Many buildings, e.g. the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków are mostly stone-built. Poland also has some Gothic fieldstone churches, mostly of relatively small size. The centres of Polish Gothic are Kraków, Gdańsk, Toruń and Wrocław.
