Fort of St Benedict and St Benedict's Church

The Church of St Benedict was built high on the edge of a rocky cliff of the Krzemionki (235 m, 770 ft asl) in the District of Podgórze. It may have been a foundation of the Benedictines from Tyniec, as the name of the patron saint would suggest. This, however, is only a guess as the most ancient history of the original Romanesque church is lost in the mists of time. It is only known that in the mid-13th century the church belonged to the Premonstratensian nuns from Zwierzyniec, a fact confirmed by the historian Jan Długosz.

The church’s most ancient architectural form was lost in later reconstructions, including the most thorough one conducted late in the 16th century. Research proved that its lower sections are built of boulders characteristic of Romanesque constructions. The higher layers are made of Gothic brick, while the roof of wooden shingles is decorated with a little baroque ave-bell tower with a double-armed cross, a reference to the tradition of the Canons of the Holy Spirit De Saxia, who – after the Premonstratensians – had the church in their keeping for a few hundred years. The interior, which can be seen only once a year, is a nave covered with a cross vault with baroque furnishing. By tradition a Holy Mass is sung here on the first Tuesday after Easter when the whole hill comes alive for the Rękawka.

This is a festival and joyful fair whose roots lie deep in ancient Slavic cults. Its name commemorates the first, legendary ruler of Kraków – Krak or Krakus – to whom the grateful people erected a burial mound that bears his name. As the soil for the kurghan was supposed to be carried in sleeves (Polish: rękaw), it was called Rękawka. The 16-metre-high (53 ft) mound, most probably erected in the 8th century, stands a few hundred metres further, on the other side of Lasota Hill. Although the rise is bisected by a thoroughfare, its other side can be conveniently reached by a footbridge.

In the mid-19th century, as a part of the project to strengthen the Kraków Fortress carried out by the Austrian authorities, a fort in the form of a so-called Maximilian tower was built in the vicinity of St Benedict. A rare example of its type in Europe, this well-preserved piece of defence heritage has for years awaited a thorough renovation and sensible management. The spacious meadow around it is a popular destination for leisure walks as it offers a unique panorama over Kraków.