Main Square, Kraków

Coordinates: 50°3′42″N 19°56′14″E / 50.06167°N 19.93722°E / 50.06167; 19.93722
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Main Square
Stare Miasto, Kraków, Poland
Coordinates50°3′42″N 19°56′14″E / 50.06167°N 19.93722°E / 50.06167; 19.93722

The Main Square (

medieval town square in Europe,[1][2] but Charles Square in Prague is two times larger.[3][4] The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) lists the square as the best public space in Europe due to its lively street life,[5] and it was a major factor in the inclusion of Kraków as one of the top off-the-beaten-path destinations in the world in 2016.[6]

The Main Square is a square space surrounded by historic townhouses (

Cloth Hall (Sukiennice), rebuilt in 1555 in the Renaissance style, topped by a attic or Polish parapet decorated with carved masks. On one side of the cloth hall is the Town Hall Tower (Wieża ratuszowa), on the other the 11th century Church of St. Adalbert and 1898 Adam Mickiewicz Monument. Rising above the square are the Gothic towers of St. Mary's Basilica (Kościół Mariacki). Kraków Main Square does not have a town hall
, because it has not survived to the present day.

History

Main Square in Kraków painted by Jan Matejko, now at the Sukiennice Museum

The main function of the Market Square was commerce. After the city was destroyed by the

Kingdom of Poland and a member of the Hanseatic League
and the city flourished as an important European metropolis.

Kościuszko taking the oath at the Rynek. 1797 painting by Franciszek Smuglewicz

In addition to its original merchant functions the Main Square witnessed many historical events, and it was used to stage public executions of prisoners held in the city's Town Hall. It was a place of regal ceremonies as part of the

Turkish Empire in the 1683 Battle of Vienna
.

In 1596 King

Spring of Nations, civilians clashed with the Austrian army and it was where, next to Ratusz, Austrian eagles were piled up as a symbol of regained independence in 1918.[7]

The market square in the 1930s

Jews traded on the square as early as the 15th century.

Adolf Hitler-Platz and the Adam Mickiewicz monument
was destroyed along with historical commemorative plaques taken from buildings at the square. After the war, the monument was reconstructed.

In 1978

communist government's refusal to acknowledge the Katyn war crime. Also, the Main Square was central in staging mass demonstrations of the Solidarity
movement. In 2013 Lonely Planet travel guides rated Kraków's Main Market Square as the most beautiful in the world.

Location

The Main Square (in red)
café at Krzysztofory Palace

The Main Square is located on the

Kraków barbican to the north, and the Wawel Castle
to the south. Ever since its creation the square has been considered the center of the city.

The Main Square is surrounded by old brick buildings (

kamienica) and palaces, almost all of them several centuries old. Most buildings have acquired a neoclassical look over time, but the basic structures are older and can be seen in their doorways, architectural details and interiors.[7] Vast medieval cellars of the buildings are used as pubs, restaurants and cabarets. The square is lined with many restaurants and cafes. One of the most renowned, Pod Palmą (Under the Palm) at Krzysztofory Palace, was opened in 1876 by Antoni Hawełka, a purveyor to the imperial court in Vienna. It is the location of the Historical Museum of Kraków, above.[10] Among the many tourism-oriented venues there is also the International Centre of Culture. Probably the most famous of the oldest establishments is the Wierzynek
's restaurant, remembered for the great feast of 1364 which, according to the legend, lasted for twenty one days and helped to reach a consensus between the monarchs of Europe.

Among the square's landmarks is the cloth hall, which was originally designed in the 14th century as a center for cloth trade. It was gutted by fire in 1555 and rebuilt in the

heynal, which is played each hour from the highest tower of St. Mary's Basilica. Other landmarks include the Church of St. Adalbert, Town Hall Tower and the Adam Mickiewicz Monument
.

Originally the market square consisted of more structures that were crucial to the economy and political life of the city and thus created a microcosm of the city. The Kraków Town Hall existed since the medieval era and was destroyed in the 19th century. Also standing next to the Cloth Hall was the Great Weigh House and the Small Weigh House, which both existed until the 19th century. The foundations of the weigh houses were excavated in the early 21st century and incorporated into an underground museum.

Since its creation, the level of the Market Square has raised, in some places by over 5 metres (16 ft). Underneath there are large

St. Adalbert's church
. There are passages linking some of the basements, such as the one linking the Town Hall Tower with the Cloth Hall. The Hall itself has a little-known underground trading hall, 100 meters wide (328 ft) and 5 meters high (16.4 ft). Near Sienna Street there is another underground hall (Kramy Bogate), with 1,200 square metres (13,000 sq ft) of trading area.

Events

Main Market square, north frontage

In December 2005 the Project for Public Spaces selected Kraków's Rynek Główny as the World's Best Square.[5] It is the focal point of many public events and festivities, such as the annual Kraków szopka Festival, Lajkonik celebrations, Festival of Military Bands, Juwenalia Student Festival, Gala Concert of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity and the largest New Year's Eve party in Poland. Every year on Christmas Eve, the Adam Mickiewicz Monument (Mickiewicz' saint's name day) is decorated with flowers by the florists of Kraków.

The

rock pigeons, florist stalls, gift-shops, beer-gardens and horse-drawn carriages. Fiacres first appeared in the 1830s as rented carriages. Now, they offer tours around the Old Town and to the Wawel Royal Castle.[11]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-56691-721-6
    . Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  2. ISBN 978-1-58939-622-7
    . Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  3. ^ Prague: The Crown of Bohemia 1347 - 1437 (Google-book)
  4. ^ Steane, John: The Archeology of Power (Google-book)
  5. ^ a b Alex White, Kathy Madden, The World's Best Squares. Project for Public Spaces PPS website; "Making Places", December 2005. PPS is a nonprofit organization in partnerships with NGOs worldwide fostering community-based planning in cities and regions. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  6. ^ "Kraków among the most interesting cities in the world". 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  7. ^ a b "The Rynek and its Environs". Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  8. OCLC 39045032
    .
  9. ^ "Mordercom katyńskim..." Retrieved 2009-10-08.
  10. ^ Antoni Hawełka biography at the restaurant history page[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Main Square". Krakow.wiki. 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2019-04-26.

External links

Media related to Old Town Market Square in Kraków at Wikimedia Commons

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