Collegium Maius
Kraków Monuments
The oldest building of the Jagiellonian University (the former Kraków Academy), at Jagiellońska Street 15 in the Old Town. Its beginnings date from 1400, when after the renewal of the Academy King Władysław Jagiełło bought the corner townhouse of the Pęcherz family of Rzeszotary. The building was enlarged during the 15th century, and after a fire in 1492 its parts were joined and the courtyard was surrounded by arcaded cloisters with late Gothic crystal vaults. Since 1947 it has housed the Jagiellonian University Museum, whose collections include astronomical instruments, among them some used by Nicolaus Copernicus, and the Jagiellonian Globe.
History
Collegium Maius is the oldest building of the Jagiellonian University, formerly the Kraków Academy. It stands at 15 Jagiellońska Street, on the corner with St Anne's Street.
Its history begins in 1400, when the Academy was re-founded. King Władysław Jagiełło then bought a single-storey corner house from the Pęcherz family of Rzeszotary for 600 grzywnas, money that came from Queen Jadwiga's bequest. In the 15th century the building was enlarged by buying up neighbouring houses. They were finally joined together after a fire in 1492, new floors were added, and the inner courtyard was surrounded by arcaded cloisters with late Gothic crystal vaults. The name Collegium Maius was used from the mid-15th century. The ground floor held lecture halls, known as lectoria, and the upper floor the common room, the Stuba Communis, libraries and professors' lodgings.
In 1839-1858 and 1864-1870 the building was remodelled in the neo-Gothic style to adapt it for the Jagiellonian Library, which was based here until 1940. Later, work led by Professor Karol Estreicher restored the building to its pre-1840 state. In 1947 the university senate established the Jagiellonian University Museum here. Its collections relate mainly to the university's history; they include a collection of astronomical instruments, among them some used by Nicolaus Copernicus, an Arabic astrolabe of 1054 and the Jagiellonian Globe, one of the oldest globes showing the name and location of the American continent.
A Gothic portal leads into the courtyard with a well in the middle. Two pairs of stairs lead up to the first-floor gallery, and the larger ones are called the Professors' Stairs. On the south side, on the upper floor, you can see the ornate late Gothic entrance to the library, known as the Porta Aurea.
Did you know?
On a wall by the courtyard hangs a clock which five times a day, every two hours from 9:00 to 17:00, plays a 16th-century melody by Jan of Lublin and the academic song "Gaudeamus igitur". Six figures then come out of it: the university beadle, Queen Jadwiga, King Jagiełło, John of Kęty, Hugo Kołłątaj and Stanisław of Skarbimierz. It is the fourth clock in this spot and was set going in 2000.