Kielce is a town in central Poland. It is also the capital of the Świętokrzyskie province. It’s over 900 years old. It has about 210,000 inhabitants. Kielce is located in the middle of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, at the banks of Silnica river.

HENRYKA SIENKIEWICZA STREET

The cathedral was originally constructed in the Romanesque style in the 12th century but after many alterations adopted the neo-Baroque look. You can see there beautiful wall paintings, heraldic cartouches type tombstones and sculptures as well as an underground shrine of Kielce ordinaries. There is the paining of the Benevolent Virgin Mary, an object of worship that visitors most enjoy.

From the 12th century to the 17th century, Kielce was controlled by the Kracow bishops,. They left there numerous and some remarkable landmarks. One of them is the Bishop’s Palace which was constructed during mid- 17th century under the sway of Bishop Jakub Zadzik. This Mannerist palace is a valuable and representative example of Polish residences in the Waza epoch. Today it is home to the Kielce branch of the national Museum and houses valuable 17th and 18th century paintings, furniture, tapestry and other arts, all of which create the ambiance characteristic of a house belonging to a rich industrialist.

PROVINCIAL CULTURAL CENTRE THE CENTRE OF CULTURE

BY OLA ORLI Ń SKA