Five things you must see in Jarosław

This is one of the most beautiful townhouses in Poland and a symbol of Jarosław. In fact, the National Bank of Poland placed this landmark on occasional coins in a series honouring 32 cities of great importance in the history of Poland. Jarosław is undoubtedly one of these. In the 16th and 17th century, it was a major centre of world trade, where East and West met at great fairs.

The merchant and banker Wilhelm Orsetti also came here to do business. The Italian born in Lucca had strong connections with Kraków, but in 1633 he decided to buy the property, damaged by fire, from the apothecary Stanisław Smiszowic. Giving the merchant a permit to buy the building, the owner of Jarosław Anna Ostrogska made a request that he rebuild the house so that it would be an adornment to the town. Orsetti did a superb job, as four hundred years later his Renaissance house with arcades and attics continues to make a great impression.

You can admire the beautiful interior design during a tour of the Museum located here. The highlight is the Great Chamber with Renaissance furniture and paintings by Italian artists; this is where the merchant’s business partners were once received. It is also under the Orsetti Tenement House that the Underground Tourist Passage begins, an attraction with many multimedia surprises and a fascinating tale about the history of Jarosław.

Today it is hard to believe, but part of the old town of Jarosław could have been moved to Warsaw shortly after World War II when reconstruction of the completely ruined capital city was beginning. At that time the city on the San River began to sink in, and that phenomenon was linked with the fact that there were multi-level cellars below the central part of the town. Indeed, 400 years ago no tenement house in Jarosław could do without such cellars, and they were dug deep, even 12 metres below the surface. Such facilities were very profitable, they were used to store goods, or rented out to other merchants. However, in the 20th century, the pavements carved into the loess rock began to cave in.

The Old Town was rescued by scientists from the AGH University in Krakow and miners from the Mining Works Company in Bytom. Securing the underground took about 30 years. As a result two tourist routes have been created. The older one - Prof. Zalewski Underground Tourist Route with the original layout of pavements and brick vaults - is located below the Rydzik Tenement House (Rynek 14). The new one - the Underground Tourist Passage with a colourful exhibition and multimedia attractions - starts under the Orsetti Tenement House (Rynek 4). Visits to both routes are organised by the Tourist and Cultural Information Centre. It is also where you can easily buy gingerbread for the road, made in the Confectionery Factory which has operated in Jarosław for a hundred years.

The floor window, located in the Town Square near the Centre for Culture and Promotion, looking down into the underground route, shows a miniature model of Jarosław from 1704. You can see there important buildings, including the Benedictine Abbey on St. Michael's Hill. It was built in the 17th century by Duchess Anna Ostrowska. The commonly used name of the place - ‘Anna Kasarnia’ – refers to the Duchess. The second word comes from the military barracks built here at the time this part of Poland was in the Austrian Empire. The abbey has survived many turbulences of the history, and it is here that a world class rarity, the Black Chapel is located. The uneven vaulting, glistening like black onyx, and contrasting with the white walls, makes an incredible impression. And it was created by fire.

In 1944, the retreating Germans decided to blow up the abbey, which had been their headquarter throughout the occupation, as well as a place of torture and execution. They set fire to a storehouse containing carbide and other flammable substances. As there was no oxygen in the room, the fire stopped by itself, but the temperature rose so much that the bricks melted into black lumps. The fire did not destroy the monastery buildings owing to which you can still visit the Baroque church of St. Nicholas and St. Stanislaus with its magnificent stone portal from 1620. Anna Jenke, the unforgettable head teacher of the State High School of Fine Arts in Jarosław, is buried in a crypt there. Her beatification process is in progress.

Polish Uniate Catholics pray in front of the icon of Our Lady of Jarosław, known as the Gate of Mercy. The icon, known for its benevolence, is located in the Tserkva of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Visible from the Town Square at the end of Jana III Sobieskiego Street, the Greek-Catholic church is a reminder of the city's multicultural traditions. It was built between 1717 and 1747 on the site where a castle once stood. Inside you can admire the magnificent 17th century iconostasis. Years ago, the Gate of Mercy was adorned with the papal crowns by the will of John Paul II, and in 2015 it was taken to the Vatican at a special request of Pope Francis. It was displayed in St. Peter's Square in Rome during the inauguration of the Year of Mercy.

Until recently, few people knew that one of the greatest producers in the history of American cinema - Sam Spiegel - was born in Jarosław. The future producer of the films Bridge on the River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia lived in the tenement house at 13 Grodzka Street until the age of 18, and used to skip classes to go to the Sokół cinema. The unique architecture and streets of Jarosław, where time seems to have stopped, still inspire filmmakers today. The film Najlepsze na świecie (The Best in the World) by Stanisław Jędryka was shot almost entirely here.

Kasztelańska Street “played a role” in the TV series entitled 1920. Wojna i miłość (1920. War and Love), and the film Eter (Ether) by Krzysztof Zanussi features the Rydzik Tenement House. The plaques on the pavement in and near the Town Square bring back the memory of these facts. In January 2007, Andrzej Wajda went for a walk here. At that time he was shooting some scenes for the film Katyń not far away, in the tserkva in Stary Dzików. And suddenly he decided that he would also shoot a scene in the Town Square in Jarosław. ‘I fell in love with this beautiful city and decided to immortalise it in the film,’ he said. Perhaps we should follow in his footsteps…