Deanery

The house at ul. Kanonicza 21 is the former residence of the Deans (superiors) of the Chapter, that is the Spiritual College of the Canons of Wawel Cathedral. Perfectly well preserved, it is one of the most beautiful historic houses in Kraków. The original, 14th-century Gothic house was totally remodelled in the years 1582-1592 to the design of Santi Gucci and converted into an impressive, Mannerist city residence. Attention is drawn to the late Renaissance portal bearing the Latin inscription Procul este profani (Stay away, profane ones) and a cartouche bearing the Leszczyc coat-of-arms. The vaulted hallway leads into the quadrangle surrounded with arcaded galleries on the ground and first floors. Somewhat later, an already baroque figure of St Stanislaus was placed in the centre of the quadrangle. The original stonework of the windows and doors dating back to the 15th to 17th centuries has been preserved, as have been the interiors with their polychrome paintings. Also preserved are the painted boards of the first floor ceiling. The sgrafitto decoration of the façade was restored soon after the second world war.

In the years 1958-1964, the Deanery was home to the then suffragan (ancillary bishop) of the Archdiocese of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II. In 1994, it became the seat of the Archdiocese Museum. The exhibits include the modestly decorated room of the Pope and the painting of St Charles Borromeo, which used to adorn the private apartment of the Pope, a gift from Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz (2005).