It is the largest church in Poland and one of the largest in the world.
It was built between 1994 and 2004 according to a design by architect Barbara Bielecka, primarily with donations from pilgrims.
It was consecrated in 2004; in 2005, Pope John Paul II elevated it to a basilica minor.
The Pope had blessed the still unfinished church in 1999.
The basilica is approximately 139 meters long and 77 meters wide, with a tower of 141.5 meters.
There are 33 steps in front of the entrance (representing the years of Jesus' life).
Inside stands the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland, with the Polish white eagle on her mantle.
The veneration dates back to 1813.
The severely wounded soldier Tomasz Kłossowski is said to have seen Mary during the Battle of Leipzig.
Other apparitions and healings followed later.
Approximately 1 to 1.5 million pilgrims visit annually; it is the second most important Marian shrine in Poland, after Częstochowa.
The shrine is managed by the Marianas.
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