We are back on foot for a while, walking in and around Old Town, Warsaw.
This column was originally erected in 1644. It is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, and is one of Warsaw’s most famous landmarks. The column and statue commemorate King Sigismund III Vasa, who in 1596 had moved Poland’s capital from Kraków to Warsaw. [Reference]
The Royal Castle in Warsaw is now a state museum and a national historical monument. It formerly served as the official royal residence of several Polish monarchs. [Reference]
Here are another couple views of the towers of the Royal Castle from Castle Square.
Several of the buildings in Old Town have very interesting facades.
Old Town Square
These bronze sculptures surround the door to the Church of Our Lady of Grace and is known as Resurrection Door. Note the imperfections in the sculptures (missing arms, only one wing). These represent vulnerability of the human condition and beauty in suffering, metaphors for the human condition.
This statue of Mary was in a niche in a wall along the street.
When walking past Warsaw’s Old Town and the Church of Our Lady of Grace, there is a small statue that seems out of place. It’s a bear, seemingly frozen on the church porch. This statue is said to be of Prince Mieszko, an adopted prince of Janusz I who was found in a bear’s den during a hunting trip. According to the legend he protected the bear and her cubs from being shot by putting himself between the animals and the hunters, a very brave move that convinced Janusz I’s family to adopt the child as their own.
The young prince was raised with love and care and learned the customs of the court, but he never quite got over his wild nature and remained close to the forest. It’s said he was bad with people, especially women, until he met Jadwizka, the woman he fell in love with. Mieszko told himself that he would marry her or die. It was a requited love, and it seemed that the union was about to happen. However, Mieszko was summoned into service and had to leave the city against his will for a few months.
When Mieszko returned, he looked for the perfect place to hold a wedding and entered the church in the Old Town. To his astonishment, he found Jadwizka in the church, marrying someone else against her will. This broke Mieszko’s heart, nearly killing him. Luckily (or not), a witch saved him, by turning him into a stone bear. Mieszko is destined to remain in his deep sleep until his true love comes and kisses the statue. [Reference]
The legend of the Warsaw mermaid is a relatively simple one. She originated from the Baltic Sea, where (according to some versions of the story) she had a twin sister, the famous Little Mermaid of Copenhagen. The mermaid swam up the Vistula River until she was at what is now Warsaw’s old town. There, she saw some fishermen catching fish and decided to meddle with their nets and free the catch. The fishermen were angry at the meddlesome creature and tried to catch it, but once they saw the mermaid and heard her siren song they could no longer harbor any hate for her. Later, the mermaid was captured by a rich merchant who wanted to haul her off as some kind of prize. But the fishermen would not have it and freed her from the greedy man’s clutches. The mermaid was thankful and promised to protect the fishermen and their homes from then on. From that moment, she became the city’s guardian and protector in times of need. [Reference]
The organ grinder in the Old Town Square played continuously while we were there. As someone would put some money in his monkey’s hat, he would continue to play while taking a very mechanical bow while tipping his hat to the donor. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the monkey was not real. Also, note the mermaid on the organ. By the way, he is for hire. [Reference]
It is truly amazing that there are statues like this in front of stores or along the streets. This one, in Old Town, Warsaw, is in front of an amber store.
This modern sculpture is located inside the courtyard of the Royal Castle.
This is where we had our first lunch in Poland, Zapiecek Polskie Pierogarnie. I had a clear broth of duck and beef with beef dumplings. Rose had the sour rye soup that came with sausage, egg, and bread. Both were very good.
After lunch, I had just enough time for a quick visit to St. Anna Church. I wish I had had more time. The text translates to “In the year of the restoration of the salvation of Stanislaus Augustus, the king of religion, Joseph Kwiecinski, adorned this sacred extremity with his bronze front.”
These are just some quick photos from the interior.
So much to see, and so little time. My next post will from the Archcathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, located in Old Town.
Mark
Thank you for sharing. You will remember this trip for many years.
Our guides shared photographs of the devastation of Old Town during WWII by the Nazi army. 85% of the buildings were destroyed. The reconstruction used the remnants of destroyed buildings, photos, and building materials sent from throughout Poland to reconstruct the buildings as they were previously. Old Town is a UNESCO site.