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Tarnow was established in 1330 as a private city of the magnate family Tarnowski. Surely, soon after this time the building of the church took place. Previously being a parish church, it was a collegiate church since 1400. 

In 16th and 18th century the side chapels were built additionally. In 1786, when the Tarnów diocese was called into being, the collegiate church was turned to the seat of the bishop. From then on, it has been an Episcopal cathedral church. Jews are mentioned in the town in the 1400's. The town was annexed to Austria after the first partition of Poland in 1772, at which time there were over 1,200 Jews in the town. At the outbreak of World War II, there were about 25,000 Jews in Tarnow.

The German army entered the town on September 8, 1939, and a ghetto was established in March, 1941. Deportations to Belzec and Plaszow began in June, 1942, and by December, 1943, the ghetto was completely liquidated.

In 19th century the rebuilding of this church took place. The two aisles have been built from side chapels. The present Neo-Gothic style was given to the church in the end of 19^th century. In 1972 it obtained the title of Minor Basilica.
Because of the sepulchral monuments of the family Tarnowski and the next city owners the dukes Ostrogski and Sanguszko, the Tarnow cathedral basilica, has had a great meaning for the Polish culture. These monuments are the masterpieces of sepulchral sculpture coming from Renaissance, Mannerism and Neoclassicism periods.

The family Tarnowski tombs were founded by the main representative of this family, the hetman (commander-in-chief) Jan Tarnowski (+ 1561). In the presbytery, there is the very high Renaissance monument of the hetman himself and one of his son Jan Krzysztof (+1567).

During the beginning period after the founding, Tarnów - like majority of the newly founded towns - had no Town Hall. The origin of the Town Hall and its initial period are not known. The first stone building was probably erected from the scratch at the end of the 15th century.

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