Cracow [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION 25 In 1619, a panoramic copper-plate of Cracow, the work of Matthew Merian, left the Amsterdam printing house of Justus Hondius. It had the following significant inscription: Cracovia totius Poloniae urbs celeberrima atque amplissima Regia, atque Academia insignis. This is the way Cracow was described in the early 17th century. It was then a big metropolis with a large population and with wealth gathered over the centuries. The beauty of its magnificent buildings and its history as the former capital of Poland, made the city widely known and a favourite with foreigners, who liked to visit it in the past and still do today. The works of art gathered there are a glorious testimony to Polish artistic culture, bringing fame to both the artists and their sponsors. Today, Cracow is the seat of the voivodship authorities, a Roman Catholic Archbishopric, an important scientific and cultural centre and a centre of industry too. The coat of arms of the city is a blue shield on which there is a gate with three towers and in the centre of the middle tower there is a white eagle wearing a crown. The banner of Cracow is sky blue and white. The culture of Cracow, the treasures of art kept in this city which is imbued with history, will be the subject of the further chapters of this book. The art of Cracow can without any exaggeration be treated as pro toto Polish art, for the majority of artistic phenomena had their beginnings there. It was the capital of the Polish state, later the place where kings were crowned and laid to rest, it is full of innumerable treasures of national culture, the seat of the oldest university in Poland. And finally it is the city that gave us the first Slav Pope — John Paul 11. What was and what is the role of Cracow in the culture of the Polish nation? From the earliest ages the city took the lead in Poland as regards politics and culture. It was the seat of the rulers as early as the 11th century and the role of Cracow as capital was confirmed at the beginning of the 14th century. The historical central part of Cracow was shaped over a thousand years and it is one of the most artistically interesting town centres in Europe. Almost all artistic epochs left their mark on Cracow. It was here that the royal castle was built, as well as the cathedral where the monarchs of Poland were crowned and buried. From the Middle Ages, Cracow took a leading place in shaping Poland's culture. At the court of the duke a chancery was set up and there also the first Polish chronicle was written. A school and a library were set up In association with the Cathedral. In the Cathedral Treasury the royal crowns were carefully guarded. There are the best examples of Romanesque and Gothic art in Cracow. In the Middle Ages it was the scene of the development of literature and music. When the city became the place where coronations took place (1320) and also the place of residence of the ruler, the court culture radiated from Cracow to the provinces. Cracow University attracted students from the whole of Europe. The arts flourished. It was the same in the 16th century. In the Renaissance period Cracow was the main centre of literary culture and a real home of the arts. Royal patronage and also that of the burghers operated widely. The year 1609 marked a turning point in the history of the city. This was the year when the royal court moved out of Cracow. But the city retained the privileges of the capital — it remained the place of the coronations and burials of kings. This was observed faithfully in the Commonwealth of the Gentry. After this came a no less essential function — Cracow became a sanctuary of the life of the nation. In these years, certainly not the best in the history of Poland, years full of wars and violence, Cracow grew into a symbol of the good moments in the history of the nation. It had witnessed elevated moments in the times of the Piasts and Jagiellons. This state of affairs lasted till the end of the 18th century.