Krzysztofory Palace in Cracow
Medals available for purchase in the souvenir shop!
The Krzysztofory Palace is one of the most beautiful and magnificent urban palaces in Kraków. The building’s name derives from St. Christopher, the patron saint of the medieval tenement house that once stood on this site. In the 14th century, the tenement belonged to the Spycymir family, and in the 15th century, it passed into the hands of the influential merchant Morsztyn family.
The palace buildings were constructed in the 17th century by combining Gothic tenements located at the intersection of the Main Market Square and today’s Szczepańska Street. Construction work was initiated in the second quarter of the 17th century by Crown Marshal Adam Kazanowski. The fundamental reconstruction of the building was carried out by architect Jakub Solaris between 1682-1684 at the request of the then-owner, Wawrzyniec Jan Wodzicki. From the 17th-century reconstruction comes the beautiful arcaded loggia, formed by five arches supported on double Tuscan columns in a Palladian arrangement.
The palace rooms on the first floor form an enfilade of chambers of varying sizes, among which the Fontana Room is one of the most representative spaces in the Palace. Its name pays homage to the famous Italian sculptor and stucco artist, Baltazar Fontana. In this space, filled with portraits of Kraków’s former citizens, one can admire the artist’s work – the mythological stucco ceiling “The Fall of Phaeton.”
In 1773, the palace was purchased by Kraków Bishop Kajetan Sołtyk. At the end of the 18th century, the building became the property of Brzeg starosta Jacek Kluszewski, co-founder of the Kraków theater.
Over the centuries, the palace has hosted many distinguished personalities, including Polish rulers: Kings John II Casimir Vasa, Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki, and Stanisław August Poniatowski. Prince Józef Poniatowski stayed here in 1809. During the Kraków Uprising in February 1846, the Krzysztofory Palace housed the National Government headed by Jan Tyssowski. During the events of the Spring of Nations in 1848, representatives of the Civic Committee and later the National Committee in Kraków met here.
In 1914, the building housed the recruitment office for the Polish Legions, as well as the offices of the Supreme National Committee (NKN). In 1965, the Krzysztofory Palace was handed over to the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków.
