Kraków. History and Art [PL]

“There is no city in Poland that is so overgrown with myths and legends, and at the same its symbolic layer is as alive as the space of the medieval city centre of Krakow is alive today. Much like centuries ago, the melody of the medieval bugle call from St. Mary’s Tower sets the daily rhythm of life, and the royal bell Zygmunt from Wawel »comments« on special moments in the life of the nation and the city “- writes prof. Jacek Purchla in the book’s epilogue.

Krakow consists not only of outstanding architectural monuments of various eras, which were among the first twelve objects on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Krakow is also a treasury where works of art and other historical objects have been collected for centuries, as well as a city-myth.

The book is divided into chapters telling the history of Krakow from the earliest times to the present day. The authors sketched a broad background of each epoch, offering a synthesis of the history of broadly understood artistic culture. The image is completed by “capsules” – a form of excursions, graphically separated from the main text, on topics worth detailed explanations, such as the history and importance of the Main Market Square, St. Mary’s Church, Wawel tapestries, the works of Stanisław Wyspiański or Leonardo da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine”’s route to Krakow.

The photographs, collected in the form of a catalogue, make up a rich illustrative material. The book is the fruit of the work of a team of outstanding researchers invited to collaborate by prof. Jacek Purchla on the occasion of the project A Thousand Treasures of Krakow (2018), initiated by President Jacek Majchrowski. Among the authors were the best specialists in the history and culture of the city: Andrzej Chwalba, Krzysztof J. Czyżewski, Kamila Follprecht, Edyta Gawron, Karolina Grodziska, Mateusz Grzęda, Anna Król, Waldemar Łazuga, Michał Niezabitowski, Zdzisław Noga, Magdalena Piwocka, Jacek Purchla, Krzysztof Stopka, Marek Walczak, Janusz Wałek †.

Book is available in English HERE