Rola patronów Królestwa Polskiego w geografii sakralnej późnośredniowiecznego Krakowa
The Role of Patrons of the Kingdom of Poland in the Sacral Geography of the Late-Medieval Krakow

Summary/Abstract: The author of the article makes use of the concept of „sacred geography” put forward by Halina Manikowska, and renders it a point of departure in his analysis of a vision of a Krakow townswoman Veronica, presented by Jan Długosz. Veronica has a dream about a wondrous procession of saints Wojciech and Florian — their procession to the Wawel Cathedral in order to visit saints Stanislaus and Wenceslaus. They were regarded as patron saints of the Kingdom of Poland (at least since the time of bishop of Krakow, Zbigniew Oleśnicki). The sense of this patronage is rendered in Veronica’s vision by means of St. Adalbert who accuses the Polish of oppression of the poor, lack of safety on roads, and of peddling power. So as not to let a severe punishment be inflicted on the town and country, the situation had to improve, whereas townspeople should participate in processions to „appease God’s wrath”. In the medieval agglomeration of Krakow processions participated in an unusual space. An analysis of patrocinia, hagiotoponyms, and the localization of certain objects leads to designation of hagiotoponymic sacrum spheres focused on the patron saints of Krakow and of the Kingdom of Poland. A complex view on the topographic localization of the objects concerned with the nation saint patronage, their hagiotoponymics and processions that joined those places allows for a deeper understanding of the functioning of the sacred geography of the late medieval Krakow.

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