1840 print ST. FLORIAN GATE IN CRACOW KRAKOW, POLAND, #5

Description: Pologne_05 1840 print ST. FLORIAN GATE IN CRACOW KRAKOW, POLAND, #5 Print from steel engraving titled Porte St Florian a Krakovie, published in a volume of L'Univers Pittoresque, Paris, 1840. Approx. page size 21 x 13 cm, approx. image size 14 x 10 cm. Kraków, also spelled CRACOW, city and miasto-województwo (city province) surrounded by Kraków województwo (province), southern Poland, on both sides of the upper Vistula River. The third largest city in Poland, it is a major rail junction with connections to Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, and Vienna. Modern Kraków has a rapidly expanding economy founded upon the major industrial complex at Nowa Huta (formerly located to the east, now part of the city province), but the city is known primarily for its grand historical style and cultural leadership. Its marketplace, Rynek Glówny (Main Square), has existed since the 13th century, and a modern landscaped area is laid out on the site of past fortifications. Kraków was the home of the Wishlanie tribe (Vistulans), who occupied Malopolska (Little Poland) until the 10th century. From 988 to 990 King Mieszko I united the southern and northern territories to form a powerful kingdom; and his son, Boleslaw I the Brave, made Kraków the seat of a Polish bishopric. The city expanded rapidly as a trade centre, becoming capital of one of Poland's major principalities in 1138. It was devastated by Tatar invasions during the 13th century but was quickly rebuilt, receiving "Magdeburg rights," which consisted of a municipal constitution, in 1257. When King Wladyslaw I the Short reunited Poland, he made Kraków his capital in 1320, after which the kings of Poland were traditionally crowned in Wawel Castle and entombed in Wawel Cathedral, both on Wawel Hill. Throughout the 14th century Kraków served as Poland's economic and political centre and as a major trading point between England and Hungary. The city's architectural development was remarkable. The many surviving medieval structures include the Jagiellonian University, founded as the Academy of Kraków by Casimir III the Great in 1364. The university is the second oldest in central Europe, and it once made Kraków one of Europe's foremost cultural centres. By 1600 Kraków had begun to decline. The Jagiellon dynasty came to an end, and in 1609 King Sigismund III Vasa moved his capital from Kraków to Warsaw, thus reducing the former's importance. The devastating Swedish wars of the 17th century left the city economically impoverished. In 1794, Tadeusz Koshciuszko led an anti-Russian insurrection that started in Kraków. Between 1795 and 1918 the city was controlled by Austria, except from 1809 to 1815, when it existed as part of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, and from 1815 to 1846, when, with its surrounding territory, it formed an independent republic. During the latter half of the 19th century the city redeveloped under relaxed Austrian control until it regained its former stature. In 1918 Kraków was returned to Poland, only to be taken by the Germans at the beginning of World War II. The German governor, who made his headquarters in Wawel Castle, executed the university's teaching staff and sent some 55,000 Jews from the city to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. In 1945 Kraków was liberated in a surprise attack made by Soviet forces, thus preventing destruction of the town by the Nazis. After the war Kraków rebuilt its industry, which includes textile milling and chemical works, based on nearby salt and limestone deposits; there is also food processing and stone cutting. The creation of the giant Nowa Huta steelworks at Mogila, a few miles from the city, sealed Kraków's transformation from a university city to an industrial centre. A vast number of historic buildings remain in the city. Some 60 old churches have notable architecture. Among the most renowned is the Church of the Virgin Mary (Mariacki church), whose main section dates from 1497. It contains a stained-glass window from 1370 and a magnificent altar (1477-89) by Veit Stoss. Wawel Cathedral (built c. 1018; rebuilt 1142 and 14th century) was renovated in 1712 in the Gothic style. Kraków's more modern cultural attractions include many museums (especially the National Museum), theatres, and an opera house. The Kraków urban-industrial agglomeration includes the nearby industrial towns of Skawina, Wieliczka, and Niepotomice. Pop. (1990 est.) 748,400.

Price: 21.99 USD

Location: Zagreb, HR

End Time: 2024-11-28T17:57:45.000Z

Shipping Cost: 8.5 USD