Figura Matki Boskiej Łaskawej
Wayside Shrines
Roadside statue, Stare Miasto district. Wayside shrines were often raised out of gratitude, to commemorate events, or to ask for a safe journey.
History
The statue of Our Lady of Grace stands in Planty Park, where Jagiellońska Street ends. It was made in 1771 by J. Krzyżanowski and originally decorated the entrance gate of the cemetery beside St Mary's Basilica. When the cemetery was closed in 1797, the Capuchins bought the sculpture at auction and set it up at the end of Kapucyńska Street on Podwale. It was moved to its present spot in 1941, and on that occasion the column was replaced with a pillar.
Did you know?
Karola Olszewskiego Street, where the statue stands, used to have no name. It has borne its present name since around 1950, in honour of the chemist and cryogenics pioneer, a professor at the Jagiellonian University. It runs alongside Planty Park, along the former street that ran beneath the city walls.