Cathedral Square in Tarnów

Cathedral Square is a square in Tarnów's Old Town, between Katedralna and Kapitulna streets, just behind the Market Square on its south-east side. It was laid out in 1330, when the town was chartered, and has surrounded the Gothic cathedral ever since.

How the square came about

The square began as a church plot with a churchyard cemetery, surrounded by defensive walls and buildings. The cemetery was closed in the 1780s, in line with the edict of Emperor Joseph II. In the early 19th century the southern part of the square was formed after old townhouses were demolished, and at the end of that century the surface was paved. The square acquired its present look at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

What stands around it

The centre of the square is the Cathedral Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the 14th century. On the square are a monument to John Paul II from 1981 and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary from 1884. Around it stand former canons' houses, including the Mansionaries' House, the Chapter House and the 16th-century Mikołaj House. The historic buildings beside the cathedral house the Diocesan Museum, to which they were adapted in 1946-1952.

Practical information

• Location: the Old Town in Tarnów, between Katedralna and Kapitulna streets, next to the Market Square.
• The square is open to all; check the visiting hours of the cathedral and museum on their websites before your visit.