Representatives of the Malopolska region are currently in talks with the government regarding plans for a 'Year Of Cracow' in 2007. A veritable smorgasboard of scintillating events are in the pipeline.
2007 marks the 750th Anniversary of the Act of Location of the city - a landmark in Cracow's history. But hang on a moment, wasn't Cracow already a long-established city by then? Well, yes and no. Here's a painful secret. That nice fellow who plays the trumpet call from St. Mary's comemmorating the watchman who saved the city from the Mongol hordes. Well, the tale is a tad rose-tinted. Those dastardly Mongols actually destroyed everything - in 1241 Cracow was little more than burnt timbers.
So, in 1257, the goodly Prince Boleslaw the Bashful laid the foundations for the city that we know today. The gridded layout has remained ever since. And the laws that the bashful prince instated then - highly favourable towards the merchants - paved the way for Cracow's golden age.
But back to the future. Not only will the year 2007 mark the 750th anniversary of the Location, it also marks several more interesting dates in Cracow's history. These anniversaries are providing added inspiration for the events that the city is planning. For example, 2007 marks the hundredth year since the passing of Cracow's greatest artist, Stanislaw Wyspianski. And by coincidence, his masterpiece - the interior of the Franciscan church - touches on another anniversary. That church, where many leading international musicians perform, traces its history back 770 years to the arrival of the Franciscan Order in Cracow. So we can expect plenty of musical, artistic and historical events in store. Watch this space for more info.
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