Church of St. Benedict
Thick mists of mystery obscure the history of this old temple. Probably until its construction in the 13th century. Benedictines from Tyniec contributed, who owned land in Krzemionki, but there was also a hypothesis, that it previously existed as the property of the Norbertine Sisters. The results of the excavations turned out to be a real sensation, conducted in the years 60., confirming, that in the very ancient Middle Ages (10th or 11th century) in the place of the church there was an early Romanesque rotunda made of flat-split sand elements placed on gypsum mortar. The conclusions of the research have gone even further, suggesting, that this rotunda played a cult role in the complex of the early Romanesque ducal seat. On this basis one might judge, that the original buildings in Krzemionki were, just like Wawel, the seat of secular and spiritual power, but of less importance. The first church reconstruction recorded in documents took place in 1589 r., and in 1605 r. the patronage over it was taken over by the clergy, that is, monks from St.. Shower – hence the double cross on the baroque turret, referring to the cross of this very congregation. During the partitions, under the Austrian rule, the temple fell into disrepair and decayed. Only in the mid-nineteenth century. thanks to the efforts of the then parish priest, pcs. Comperdy, shrine dedicated to St.. Benedict has been renovated.
The present appearance of the church has 17th-century features; it is really small, from a distance it resembles a thick mushroom, his overgrown leg is covered with a dark hat. High above the wooden doors to the south, there are several almost shooting windows. The whitewashed walls are supported by protruding brick buttresses. The whole is crowned with a dark shingle roof. Unfortunately, visiting is usually limited to viewing the object from the outside, because masses are celebrated here only twice a year: on St.. Benedict and during the indulgence called Rękawka, that is, on the first day after Easter.
Western slope of the mountain, on which stands the church of St.. Benedict, was called Na Zbóju. From 1651 r., when the leader of the peasant uprising was executed here, Aleksandra Kostka Napierski, Na Zbóju is associated as a place of execution. The name also refers to the tradition of robbing merchant caravans as old as Krakow, because apparently this is where the attacks were most often carried out.
The legend of an enchanted princess, assigned to a place, where stands the church of St.. Benedict, it is dark and has no happy ending. In very old times, a magnificent palace stood here, and in it lived a beautiful princess known for her cruelty. She oppressed her people with such ruthlessness, that as a punishment a bolt from the blue was shot at her during a dissolute feast. The princess was buried in the basement of the church, but she was not given eternal peace. For her grave offenses, she wandered the hill at night, begging people for help. But only one thing could save the unfortunate one: some man would have to spend a certain amount of thalers only for his immediate needs within a certain period of time: for food and drink. He would receive a great treasure as a reward, and the princess would finally find peace in the tomb. After many years, thanks to the merciful efforts of the local hermit, there is a daredevil ready to take on the challenge. Everything was going well for him until the last thaler: tired of many days of drunkenness and gluttony, he instinctively gave the last coin to some beggar. Of course, the beggar was the devil himself, who just lurked, to tear off the head of the daredevil, and congratulate the bad princess on the next ones 500 years of wandering in the form of a spectrum. And the treasures are also lost, apparently they are buried somewhere in Krzemionki and waiting for the sucker. Good luck!