Figura Matki Boskiej Niepokalanego Poczęcia
Wayside Shrines
Roadside statue, Czyżyny district. Wayside shrines were often raised out of gratitude, to commemorate events, or to ask for a safe journey.
History
The stone statue stands at the junction of Niepokalanej Panny Marii Street and Sołtysowska Street. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pius IX in 1854, set off a wave of new wayside shrines and statues of the Virgin Mary in Kraków. This one was put up in 1899 thanks to the money and efforts of local residents. Its maker is unknown - it was probably made by one of Kraków's stonemasons' workshops. The Madonna stands on a globe and treads on the head of a serpent, with a metal canopy above her. It was restored in 1997.
Did you know?
The pedestal bears the gilded inscription "Fundacya Gminy Łęg r. 1899" (Founded by the Commune of Łęg, 1899). The statue is of the Miraculous Medal Madonna type, which stonemasons' workshops once produced in large numbers.