The Cloth Hall in Krakow is one of the most characteristic buildings in the city, dating back to the Middle Ages. For centuries, it has been the commercial and cultural heart of Krakow, attracting tourists from all over the world with its unique architecture and rich history. The Cloth Hall is not only a place where trade took place, but also a witness to many important historical and cultural events. In this article, we will explore the secrets and fascinating history of the Cloth Hall, discovering its importance for Krakow and for the whole of Poland.
Cloth Hall: what is it?
The Cloth Hall is a historic commercial building located centrally on the Main Market Square in Krakow, originally measuring approximately 104 x 26 meters. Rebuilt many times, it gained its characteristic appearance thanks to the mascarons placed on the attic, a popular decorative element in the Gothic and Mannerism periods. These distorted human or animal heads were carved at the request of the Krakow City Council by the Italian architect and sculptor Santi Gucci, who worked in Poland during the late Renaissance.
Mascarons placed on structural elements were sometimes also attributed with magical meaning, intended to ward off evil and ensure the stability of the building. Another characteristic element is the so-called Polish attic, cut in the form of a comb, constituting the crowning of the roof. During the restoration carried out by Tomasz Pryliński in the years 1875-1879, the external stalls were demolished, and in place of them were created risalits at the transverse passage and pointed arch galleries along both sides. Pryliński additionally enriched the building with risalits on the axis, attics on the annexes and a bay window on the side of Sławkowska Street.
Since the end of the 19th century, the appearance of the Cloth Hall has practically not changed, except for the addition of the coats of arms of cities that Poland regained after World War II on the ceiling of the lower hall. The last major conservation works were carried out in the years 1975-1979 and 1992-1994.
History
Over the centuries, the Cloth Hall in Kraków has undergone many changes, and its current appearance differs significantly from its original shape. As early as 1257, Duke Bolesław the Chaste undertook to build stone dress stalls during the location of Kraków. These stalls formed a double row, creating a kind of corridor in the middle of the Market Square. Such Cloth Halls survived until the mid-14th century.
Stone Cloth Hall until the mid-14th century.
Initially, the Cloth Hall was made up of wooden dress stalls surrounded by booths, stalls and butchers. However, in the foundation act, the prince undertook to build stone cloth halls. These stone stalls formed a two-row layout with a street in the middle, which was closed at night on both sides. Around 1300, the passage with stalls was roofed, which gave the Cloth Hall the character of a market hall. It survived in this form until the mid-14th century.
Gothic Cloth Hall 1358-1555
King Casimir III the Great built a new Gothic Cloth Hall before 1358. The central hall, 108 meters long and 10 meters wide, had two rows of stalls added on both sides to a depth of 7.5 meters. In total, there were 18 stalls along the long axis, closed with vaults and opened with pointed or semicircular portals. The southern and northern sides had double pointed arcades, which gave them a shape reminiscent of modern Cloth Halls. These Gothic buildings survived in this form until 1555, when they were destroyed in a fire.
Renaissance Cloth Hall since 1559
In the years 1556–1559, the reconstruction of the burnt-down Cloth Hall began. Master Pankracy supervised the works, as a result of which the large hall of the building was covered with a barrel vault. The Cloth Hall was also supplemented with an attic with arcade divisions and a crest decorated with mascarons, according to the design of Santi Gucci. Giovanni Maria Padovano additionally designed columned loggias, which were added. In 1601, the passage through the Cloth Hall was rebuilt and decorated with projections.
19th-century reconstruction
In the period from 1875 to 1879, the Cloth Hall underwent a thorough reconstruction according to the design of Tomasz Pryliński. As part of this work, the adjacent stalls and buildings were demolished. The lower hall was transformed into a series of wooden trading stalls, arranged along the walls and decorated with the coats of arms of Polish cities, guild emblems and seals in 1895. The upper hall was adapted for the needs of the museum.
Avant-corps on the east-west axis and ground-floor arcades were added. On the top of the avant-corps on the eastern side, mascarons were placed depicting caricatures of the presidents of Kraków – Józef Dietl and Mikołaj Zyblikiewicz (author: Walery Gadomski based on a drawing by Jan Matejko). On the façade of the western avant-corps, above the windows, cartouches with Latin maxims designed by Józef Szujski were placed.
On the left side (looking from Szewska Street): “NATALE SOLVM DVLCE DINE CVNCTOS DVCIT ET IMMEMORES NON SINIT ESSE SVI” (translated as “Our country fills us with extraordinary sweetness and never lets us forget that we belong to it”) – a quote from Ovid’s “Letters from Pontus”. On the right side: “A state cannot exist when its laws mean nothing and when native customs perish”, (“ILLA NON EST CIVITAS CVM LEGES IN EA NIHIL VALENT CVM MOS OCCI DIT PATRIVS”) – a quote from Cicero’s “Paradoxes”. The top of the projection is crowned by a sculpture designed by Jan Matejko, “Day and Night”.
Present day
During the German occupation, the Cloth Hall was featured on 50 złoty banknotes issued by the Bank Emisyjny in Poland, which indicated its symbolic importance for the country.
Today, the Cloth Hall is home to two rows of stalls, mainly offering jewellery, souvenirs and handicrafts. On the first floor is the Gallery of Polish Painting and Sculpture of the 19th Century, a branch of the National Museum. On the ground floor is also the famous Noworolski café. In addition, the historic gas lighting has been preserved in the outer part of the Cloth Hall.
In 2010, a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, the Main Market Square Underground, was also opened, the entrance to which is located in the Cloth Hall. Visitors can explore the underground corridors and routes around the Cloth Hall, using glass ramps and footbridges that lead over the medieval cobblestones, offering an extraordinary experience and the opportunity to learn about the history of this place.
Our favourite curiosities
The legend of the two towers of St. Mary’s
The difference in height can be seen in the towers of St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow, which is an architectural curiosity. There is a bloody legend associated with it, which adds a mysterious charm to this place.
The bugle call is played every hour on the higher of the towers, while the church bell known as Półzygmunt hangs in the lower one. Despite the lack of preserved architectural plans explaining this difference in height, a certain grim story circulates. According to legend, during the reign of Duke Bolesław the Chaste (1243-1279), construction of two towers began above the body of the church on the Main Market Square in Krakow. This work was entrusted to two brothers. When the younger one noticed that his brother’s work was going faster, he murdered him with a knife out of jealousy, and the construction was stopped. However, the murderer could not bear the pangs of conscience – the day after the consecration of the temple, he stabbed himself in the heart and then threw himself from the church tower. This crime still reminds us of itself, because the knife used to commit the crime is still hanging in the Cloth Hall, reminding us of this tragic story.
Cafe “U Noworolski”
In 1879, the Reman Café was opened in the Sukiennice, which was later taken over by Jan Noworolski from Stefan Reman. The interior of this café was designed in 1910 by Eugeniusz Dąbrowa, a famous theatre decorator. It is still known as the “U Noworola” café.
Gallery of Polish Art of the 19th Century
The Cloth Hall houses one of the largest exhibitions of 19th-century Polish painting and sculpture in Poland. It is located on the first floor of the Cloth Hall, which used to house a rag shop, and today it is a meeting place for outstanding masterpieces.
In the gallery, you can admire a collection of paintings and sculptures that show various aspects of social, cultural and political life in Poland in the 19th century. Walking through the halls, you will find works by the most outstanding Polish artists of that period, such as Jan Matejko, Józef Chełmoński and Stanisław Wyspiański. Their paintings bring the past to life, showing important historical events, genre scenes or portraits of famous figures of that time.
Summary
To sum up, the Cloth Hall in Krakow is not only one of the most characteristic monuments of the city, but also an important symbol of its history and culture. Since the Middle Ages, it has served as a commercial and social center, transforming with subsequent architectural eras and historical events.
Nowadays, the Cloth Hall is not only a place where you can buy souvenirs or handicrafts, but also a cultural center with art galleries, museums and cafes. Their unique architecture, enriched with characteristic gargoyles and attics, attracts both locals and tourists from all over the world.
Over the centuries, the Cloth Hall has survived many changes, but its unique charm and historical significance still attract attention and delight visitors. This extraordinary place is an inseparable element of the landscape of the Main Market Square in Krakow and remains an important point on the city map, connecting the past with the present.
