Mariacki Square

The square consists of two parts, divided by the solid mass of St Mary’s Church. The southern part used to be a cemetery surrounded by a high wall, where generations of Kraków residents from the Middle Ages onwards were buried. The termination of this and other church cemeteries followed the decision of the Austrian government at the end of 18th-century to forbid burials within the city. Soon after the demolition of the cemetery wall, a beautiful new corner emerged with a vista of St Barbara’s Church.

Notable features of the northern part of the square, which acts as a de facto extension of the A-B Side of the Main Market Square, is the Hipolit House, standing at No. 3 with its picturesque galleries in the courtyard, and stucco decoration by Baldassare Fontana in the chamber on the first floor. The interior may be visited, as the building houses the “Burgher House” Branch of the Historical Museum.

The other building that demands attention is the neighbouring Prelate House (No. 4), built in 1618-1625 for the archpresbyters of St Mary’s Church. It is the only early baroque residence in Kraków that has survived unchanged, with the façade decorated with sgraffito, and a beautiful parapet wall typical of Kraków architecture of the time. The portal, bearing features of the late Renaissance, is embellished with a Latin motto asking that “this house should be allowed to remain open for friends and the poor”.