English readers will know the tale of Thomas a Beckett, the headstrong bishop who stood up to overbearing King Henry II. Well, this Cracovian site saw an almost identical martyrdom to that of the English Saint. Stanislas Szczepanow, Beckett's Polish counterpart, rebelled against the tyrannical King Boleslas the Bold. For his presumption, he was slain by the king's knights whilst holding Mass at the Church on the Rock. The site soon became a pilgrimage destination, and the church that stands today is the third to have been raised here. Beneath the edifice is the famed Crypt of Honour, where a select coterie of cultural greats have been laid to rest.
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