About This Location
Plac Franciszkański sits right by the Planty park belt, created in the 19th century on the space left after Kraków’s old fortifications were cleared. That is why this area feels open compared with the tight Old Town streets nearby. The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi beside the square is famous for one striking Art Nouveau feature: Stanisław Wyspiański’s stained-glass window “Bóg Ojciec - Stań się” from 1904. It is enormous and placed high in the western wall of the nave, so it suddenly catches the eye when the light is right. Near the path stands the monument to Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, often called the “Unbreakable Prince” in Kraków’s memory of World War II. The sculpture is by August Zamoyski and was cast in bronze in 1976. It was set here facing the Archbishop’s Palace, making the location part of the message. Across the road, at Franciszkańska 3, is the Archbishop’s Palace and the famous “Papal Window.” John Paul II first appeared here during his 1979 visit to Poland, and later visits turned these evening moments into a Kraków tradition, with people gathering below to listen and respond.