Wolnica Square (Kraków)

Poland / Malopolskie / Krakow / Kraków / pl. Wolnica
 square, interesting place

Today Wolnica Square is part of the former market square of the city of Kazimierz. The name ("wolny" means free in Polish) comes from the Latin "forum liberum", that is the right of free trade, which let merchants sell meat outside shambles, in the market square, once a week, on Saturdays. The market was staked out with real panache soon after the chartering of the city in 1335. Its size was only a little smaller than that of Kraków.
The Swedish invasion of 1655 and the Northern War (1704-1705) left Kazimierz in utter ruin. The progressive destruction of the buildings rendered the entire urban layout, including the Market Square, hardly legible.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   50°2'55"N   19°56'38"E
This article was last modified 7 years ago