Description of the attraction
Jan Matejki Square is a city square in Krakow, located north of the Old Town.
Today's Jan Matejka Square used to be part of the Klepark market. The Kleparc district was established in 1366 and was separated from Krakow until 1792. After the annexation of Kleparc to the city, it became part of the Royal Route. Houses built of wood were located around the market square, and artisans, blacksmiths and tailors lived here. At the beginning of the 19th century, the construction of new residential houses in the non-classical style, as well as in the Art Nouveau style, began in the market area. When the construction of the Academy of Fine Arts began in 1879, the territory of the market was divided, and Jan Matejka Square was formed. The Academy, designed by the architect Morachevsky, is a corner building on the square.
In 1910, in honor of the 500th anniversary of the victory in the Battle of Grunwald, a monument was erected on the square - an equestrian statue of King Vladislav II Jagiello designed by sculptor Antonio Vivulski. The grand opening of the monument took place on July 15, 1910 at 12 noon. The ceremony was attended by 150 thousand visitors. The monument was destroyed in 1940 by the Germans, the reconstruction took place in 1976. In front of the Grunwald Monument is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - a black marble pedestal with an eternal flame, which is lit during ceremonies. The symbolic grave in memory of those killed on the battlefields was designed by sculptor Viktor Sin.
