Page 100 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Krakow

98  KR AK OW AREA B Y AREA

2St Mary’s Square from 1394 to 1399, which 5Krzysztofory
Plac Mariacki coincides with one of the Palace
stages in the construction of
Map 1 C4 (6 D2). St Mary’s. Between 1415 and Pałac Krzysztofory
1536 sermons were delivered Rynek Główny 35. Map 1 C4 (6 D2).
St Mary’s Square was once in Polish in the former church, Museum of Krakow: Tel 12 426 50 60.
a parish graveyard. It was and in German in the latter. Cellars: Open 10am–5:30pm Tue–Sun.
relocated between 1796 and During this period the patricians & ∑ mhk.pl
1804. The statue of the Virgin of Krakow were mostly German
Mary that was here and it was only much later This is one of the oldest and
originally is now in the that they became a most beautiful palaces in
Planty by Jagiellońska minority among the Polish Krakow, with a magnificent
Street. The bas-relief population. In 1586 the arcaded courtyard. It was
attributed to Veit Stoss, church was taken over remodelled between 1682
which once decorated by the Jesuits. Piotr and 1685 by Jacopo Solari
the Calvary Porch, has Skarga preached here for Kazimierz Wodzicki, one
survived and is now in and Jakub Wujek, the of the richest noblemen
the National Museum. translator of the Bible, in Lesser Poland.
A copy can be seen on is buried here. Added The palace is named after
the wall at No. 8 on the on the outside from 1488 St Christopher, whose 14th-
square. The prelate to 1518 is a late Gothic century statue decorates the
House and a Vicarage chapel with a porch building. Now belonging to the
are among the houses in decorated with sculptures Museum of Krakow (which has
which original beamed made by Veit Stoss’s several branches throughout
ceilings and plasterwork workshop. Furnishings the city), the building’s top floor
have survived. St Barbara’s date mostly from the holds the Cyberteka: Krakow in
Church is on the east side 18th century but there Time and Space, which tells the
of the square, which also is also an interesting early history of the city through a
features a small water 15th-century Pietà combination of models and
pump decorated with A student of medieval in stone and a 15th- touch-screen computers. In the
a figure of a student of Krakow, St Mary’s century crucifix on basement is a display devoted to
medieval Krakow. It is Square the high altar. the art of the szopka or nativity
a copy of a figure from crib. The szopka has become an
the high altar in St Mary’s important expression of Krakow
(see pp96–7). 4Market Square folk art, with locals competing
Rynek Główny to create the most ornate scene
every year in the weeks leading
3St Barbara’s See pp100–103. up to Christmas.
Church
Kościół św. Barbary The Lajkonik
Mały Rynek 8. Map 1 C4 (6 D2). Every year, on the first
Tel 12 428 15 00. Open 9am–6pm Thursday after Corpus
Mon–Sat, 2–3:30pm Sun. Christi, a parade led by a
figure known as the Lajkonik
According to a legend St proceeds from the Convent
Barbara’s Church was built of the Premonstratensian
using the bricks that were left Nuns in Zwierzyniec to
over from the construction the Market Square. The
of the Church of St Mary. event commemorates
St Barbara’s actually dates the victory over the Tatars
in 1287. On his way, the
L L
Lajkonik strikes some ajkonik strikes some ajkonik
spectators with his mace,
a sign which is thought to
bring good luck, especially
to girls. At the Market Square
the Lajkonik receives a Lajkonik receives a Lajkonik
symbolic tribute. The
original costume of the
Lajkonik, designed in 1904
by Stanisław Wyspiański,
is now in the Museum
The Gothic porch with Christ in of Krakow. The Lajkonik
Gethsemane, at St Barbara’s