Town hall Tower
She is lonely in the western corner of the Market Square, but a beautifully renovated Town Hall Tower – memory of the medieval seat of the city authorities. The entire complex was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries., however, due to the destruction, the town hall was demolished in 1818 r. The tower counts 70 m in height and – Interestingly – ma 55 cm deviation from the vertical. The entrances from the north-eastern side are guarded by two lying lions, already very troubled. W odrestaurowanych wnętrzach urządzono oddział Muzeum Historycznego miasta Krakowa, in which souvenirs related to the activities of city councilors were collected. In addition, exhibitions of contemporary art are organized here. Worth the climb 91 degrees, to enter the great hall and admire the panoramic view of the city from its three large windows: you can see the roofs from here, attics and church towers. Unique photos in sepia, decorating the walls, create an interesting display: Krakow Market Square in old photographs. Unfortunately, visiting the museum is difficult due to the almost continuous renovation of the tower. The town hall's basement houses the Stańczyk pub and a branch of the Krakow Ludowy Theater – The scene at the Town Hall.
From the fourteenth century in the Town Hall, where the magistrate was, work, safe, lake i sad, City life was certainly focused, but not only that it is official and noble. From the north side of the Town Hall 'hulała’ Świdnicka cellar, a real social club of medieval Krakow, where great beer imported from Świdnica was served. W 1540 r. however, the cellars were closed for the sake of morality, and Andrzej Frycz-Modrzewski himself was scandalized at these words: “People idling all day will lie there, they drink and feed with prostitutes very lecherously…”
There was a prison in the basement of the Town Hall, from where there were three roads: to freedom, for executions (chamfer, hanging, quartering, pile driving, burning, weaving in a circle) or for executioners specializing in torture. Deprivation of liberty, that is, time off, it was used very rarely. Penalties, performed in prison torture chambers, adjacent to the Świdnicka basement or on the Market Square, they were so different, like the opinions about the Middle Ages. In addition to the prosaic, such as marten-stuffing, or cutting off hands or ears, shameful penalties were applied, anyway for the murder of a relative, the culprit stuck in a sack together with the hen, dog and lizard were thrown into the river. It was a light punishment to be ridiculed, when the guilty person had to ride a donkey around the Market Square or carry a stone.
To force prisoners to testify or confess guilt, they smeared their bodies with sulfur, boiling water was poured down the throat, vinegar or hot oil, or mice or hornets were put on the navel and covered with a dish. The judgments were passed by jurors. The rules took care of it, to be judged harshly, but objectively. For example, jurors were not allowed to judge on an empty stomach, as such a state of affairs could have adversely affected the judgment.