Krzysztofory Palace
The Krzysztofory Palace is a small, baroque palace located on the main square of Kraków, in Małopolska region of southern Poland. It is the location of the Historical Museum of Kraków.[1]
History
Between 1640 and 1649 the Palace was owned by the Crown Court Marshal Adam Kazanowski, who also commissioned its construction. The palace is named after St. Krzysztof, the patron saint of medieval tenements. It was designed by joining together three narrow Gothic houses. The first major renovation of the palace was done by the architect Jakub Solari in 1682–1684. One of its unique features is the fine stucco work by Italian architect Baldassare Fontana, who was working in Kraków at the time. Towards the end of the 19th century, the ground floor was taken up by a popular restaurant Pod Palmą founded by Antoni Hawełka, purveyor to the imperial court of Vienna.
At present, the palace houses the main branch of the Historical Museum of Kraków, which was granted the status of an independent institution in 1945, after the end of World War II.[2]
References
- ^ Homepage of Krzysztofory Palace. Muzeum Historyczne Miasta Krakowa (in English).
- ^ Marek Strzala, Krakow's Premier Museums