Fountain on Szczepański Square
Kraków Fountains
Fountain, Stare Miasto district. The fountain was added in 2010 during the modernisation of the square, right next to the Palace of Art. The square was created in the early 19th century after the demolition of the medieval Church of St Stephen, from which it takes its name. For a long time one of Kraków's largest markets was held here, and in the second half of the 20th century, until 2007, a car park.
History
Szczepański Square was created at the beginning of the 19th century, when the medieval Church of St Stephen (św. Szczepan), which gave the square its name, was pulled down. From the 19th century it was home to one of Kraków's largest markets, and in the second half of the 20th century, until 2007, it was a car park. The fountain appeared on the square in 2010. It is 14 metres across, and it was carved and polished using traditional techniques from solid blocks of Brazilian granite, 150 tonnes in all; the area around it is decorated with a mosaic. In season, the jets of water move to the rhythm of classical and film music, and the whole fountain is lit up.
Did you know?
The square was first called National Guard Square, commemorating the first review of the Kraków National Guard, held here on 3 August 1811. The people of Kraków never took to the name, and over time the name derived from St Stephen's Church stuck.