CRACOW [KRAKÓW], ARCHDIOCESE OF. - In Poland (Kraków), founded in 1000, a metropolis since 1925. Suffragan dioceses: Częstochowa, Katowice, Kielce, Tarnów. First bishop: Poppon. Since 1484 the bishops bear the title of prince.

Area: 8,127 sq. km.; population 1,250,000, of whom Catholics 1,241,794; parishes 307; churches 650; religious houses: 63 male, 227 female; educational institutions: 4 male, 21 female. During the last war 5 churches were destroyed and 30 closed forever. Pilgrimage centers: Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and Mogila. C. was the capital of Poland until 1596 and from the 14th century the city where the kings of Poland were crowned. The Academy (University) was founded in 1564. The Wawel cathedral is for the most part Gothic of the 14th century, but has elements of the 11th century and 17 chapels in Renaissance and Rococo style. In the Cathedral are tapestries captured by Sobieski at Vienna (1683), and sepulchral monuments of the bishops of C., and of King Casimir of the Jagiellonians, the work of Veit Stoss, Polonized as Wit Stwosz (1450-1533); in the crypts are the tombs of the kings of Poland. Notable churches: of the Madonna (1226-1397), with the altar, a masterpiece of Wit Stwosz; of St. Florian of 1184; of St. Adalbert, where the Saint preached in 984, rebuilt in 1161; of St. Michael the Archangel "na Skalce" of the 11th century, where St. Stanislaus Szczepanowski perished; of Sts. Peter and Paul of the 14th century. Saints and blesseds of the diocese: Bl. Bronisława (1205-1259), Bl. Salomea (1202-68), St. Cunegunda (1224-92), St. Jan Kanty (G. Canzio), professor of the Academy (1397-1473), Bl. Szymon of Lipnica, d. in 1482. Eminent bishops: St. Stanislaus Szczepanowski (1035-79), whose relics are venerated in the Cathedral; Bl. Wincenty Kadlubek (1160-1223), first national chronicler of Poland; Zbigniew Oleśnicki (1389-1455), first cardinal of Poland. The cardinals: Frederick, son of King Casimir of the Jagiellonians (1468-1503), Jan Albert, son of King Sigismund III (1612-34), Dunajewski Albin (1817-1901), Jan Puzyna (1842-1911). In C. lived Jan Dlugosz, appointed archbishop of Lwów, author of the Historiae Polonicae (1415-1480). A pupil of the Academy of C. was Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543). - See plate XLVII.

Plate XLVII DORMITION AND ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN. Triptych in wood carved and painted by Veit Stoss (1477-89) - Altar of the church of Maria S.ma.(da Th. Szydłowski, *Le retable de Notre-Dame à Cracovie*, Parigi 1935, lav. 2)

CRACOW - General view of C. in the times of V. Stoss and N. Copernicus, inserted in the Chronicon Mundi of Hartman Schedel of 1493.(from M. Kaplicki, Stary Krakow, Cracow 1937, p. VI)

Bibliography25 works

BIBL.: M. Pirożyński, Statystyka Kościoła Katolickiego w Polsce, in Homo Dei, Breslavia 1946, n. 2, pp. 80-82; id., Seminaria duchowne w Polsce, ibid., ivi 1948, n. 1, p. 84; id., Ze Statystyki Kościoła w Polsce, ibid., ivi 1948, n. 4, pp. 464-67; n. 5, pp. 578-79; W. Abraham, Organizacja Kościoła w Polsce do połowy wieku XII, Leopoli 1893, p. 56; X. M. Buliński, Historia Kościoła Polskiego, I, Cracovia 1873, pp. 75, 213-226, 430-37, 439-42, 446, 449-51; II, pp. 139-51, 166, 283, 342-43; III, pp. 211-12, 219-20, 231-36; J. Dlugosz, Opera omnia, I, ivi 1867, pp. 183-336, 383, 387, 396, 398-399, 423-429; II, pp. 147, 308, 333-41; III, p. 202; L. Letowski, Katalog Biskupów, Prałotów i Kanoników Krakowskich, ivi 1852, I, pp. 29-46, 93-116, 116-36, 370-408; II, pp. 44-58, 186-94, 234-37; Nowodworski, s. v. in Encyklopedia Kościoła, XI, 334-338; XII, 248; XXVII, 36-42; A. Bielowski, Błonumenta Poloniae Historica, Leopoli 1872, I, p. 260; II, pp. 191-453, 482; A. Theiner, Vetera Monumenta Poloniae et Lithuaniae, III, Roma 1860, p. 298; X. K. Korczyński, Katedra Krakowska, Cieszyn 1859; M. Walicki i J. Starzyński, Dzieje Sztuki Polskiej, Varsavia 1936, pp. 20, 97, 112-13, 164-67; M. Bobrzyński, Dzieje Polski w zarysie, I, ivi 1927, p. 76; I. Chrzanowski, Historia Literatury Polski Niepodległej (965-1795), ivi 1930, pp. 16, 18, 47; S. Orgelbranda, s. v. in Encyklopedia Powszechna, IV, 534-35; XI 445-46; XV, 835 ff.

Adamo Macieliński

@incollection{ec4_cracovia_arcidiocesi_di, author = {Macielinski, Adam}, title = {Cracovia, arcidiocesi di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IV}, pages = {798--799}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1950}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/cracovia-arcidiocesi-di} }

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Cracow [Kraków], Archdiocese of

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