Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Stary Rynek

Long before the Christianization of Poland Poznań was an important cultural and political center of the Western Polans. It consisted of a fortified stronghold between the Warta and Cybina rivers. Mieszko I, the first historically recorded ruler of the West Polans and of the early Polish state which they dominated, built one of his main headquarters in Poznań. Mieszko's baptism in 966, seen as a defining moment in the Christianization of the Polish state, may have taken place in Poznań. Following the baptism, construction began of Poznań's cathedral, the first in Poland. It became the place of burial of the early Piast monarchs, among them Mieszko I, Boleslaus I, Mieszko II Lambert, and Casimir I. In 1038, Duke Bretislaus I of Bohemia sacked and destroyed both Poznań and Gniezno. In 1138, by the testament of Boleslaus III, Poland was divided into separate duchies under the late king's sons, and Poznań and its surroundings became the domain of Mieszko III the Old. In 1249, Duke Przemysł I began constructing the Royal Castle on a hill on the left bank of the Warta. Then in 1253, Przemysł issued a charter for the founding of a town under Magdeburg law, between the castle and the river. A large number of German settlers were brought to aid in the building and settlement of the city, which was surrounded by a defensive wall, integrated with the castle. Poznan was a major center for the fur trade by the late 16th century. Suburban settlements developed around the city walls, on the river islands, and on the right bank, however, the city's development was hampered by regular major fires and floods. In the 17th century and the 18th, Poznań was affected by a series of wars, attendant military occupations, lootings, and destruction – the Northern Wars, the War of the Polish Succession, and the Seven Years' War. It was also hit by outbreaks of plague, and by floods, particularly that of 1736, which destroyed most of the suburban buildings. The population declined from 20,000 around 1600 to 6,000 around 1730, and Bambergian and Dutch settlers were brought in to rebuild the devastated suburbs. In 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland, Poznań came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia. . The Stary Rynek (Old Market) was laid out as a marketplace for buying and selling goods when the city was founded in 1253. It has a square ground plan of about 141 m on each side and covers an area of about two hectares. The oldest mention of the town hall dates back to 1310. It was probably erected shortly after the city was founded. After the city had become one of the important trading centers in Poland it could therefore afford to commission the architect Giovanni Battista di Quadro from Lugano to rebuild the town hall. In the years 1550-1567, the town hall was rebuilt by him in the Renaissance style.

Long before the Christianization of Poland Poznań was an important cultural and political center of the Western Polans. It consisted of a fortified stronghold between the Warta and Cybina rivers. Mieszko I, the first historically recorded ruler of the West Polans and of the early Polish state which they dominated, built one of his main headquarters in Poznań. Mieszko's baptism in 966, seen as a defining moment in the Christianization of the Polish state, may have taken place in Poznań. Following the baptism, construction began of Poznań's cathedral, the first in Poland. It became the place of burial of the early Piast monarchs, among them Mieszko I, Boleslaus I, Mieszko II Lambert, and Casimir I. In 1038, Duke Bretislaus I of Bohemia sacked and destroyed both Poznań and Gniezno. In 1138, by the testament of Boleslaus III, Poland was divided into separate duchies under the late king's sons, and Poznań and its surroundings became the domain of Mieszko III the Old. In 1249, Duke Przemysł I began constructing the Royal Castle on a hill on the left bank of the Warta. Then in 1253, Przemysł issued a charter for the founding of a town under Magdeburg law, between the castle and the river. A large number of German settlers were brought to aid in the building and settlement of the city, which was surrounded by a defensive wall, integrated with the castle. Poznan was a major center for the fur trade by the late 16th century. Suburban settlements developed around the city walls, on the river islands, and on the right bank, however, the city's development was hampered by regular major fires and floods. In the 17th century and the 18th, Poznań was affected by a series of wars, attendant military occupations, lootings, and destruction – the Northern Wars, the War of the Polish Succession, and the Seven Years' War. It was also hit by outbreaks of plague, and by floods, particularly that of 1736, which destroyed most of the suburban buildings. The population declined from 20,000 around 1600 to 6,000 around 1730, and Bambergian and Dutch settlers were brought in to rebuild the devastated suburbs. In 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland, Poznań came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia. . The Stary Rynek (Old Market) was laid out as a marketplace for buying and selling goods when the city was founded in 1253. It has a square ground plan of about 141 m on each side and covers an area of about two hectares. The oldest mention of the town hall dates back to 1310. It was probably erected shortly after the city was founded. After the city had become one of the important trading centers in Poland it could therefore afford to commission the architect Giovanni Battista di Quadro from Lugano to rebuild the town hall. In the years 1550-1567, the town hall was rebuilt by him in the Renaissance style.

Long before the Christianization of Poland Poznań was an important cultural and political center of the Western Polans. It consisted of a fortified stronghold between the Warta and Cybina rivers. Mieszko I, the first historically recorded ruler of the West Polans and of the early Polish state which they dominated, built one of his main headquarters in Poznań. Mieszko's baptism in 966, seen as a defining moment in the Christianization of the Polish state, may have taken place in Poznań. Following the baptism, construction began of Poznań's cathedral, the first in Poland. It became the place of burial of the early Piast monarchs, among them Mieszko I, Boleslaus I, Mieszko II Lambert, and Casimir I. In 1038, Duke Bretislaus I of Bohemia sacked and destroyed both Poznań and Gniezno. In 1138, by the testament of Boleslaus III, Poland was divided into separate duchies under the late king's sons, and Poznań and its surroundings became the domain of Mieszko III the Old. In 1249, Duke Przemysł I began constructing the Royal Castle on a hill on the left bank of the Warta. Then in 1253, Przemysł issued a charter for the founding of a town under Magdeburg law, between the castle and the river. A large number of German settlers were brought to aid in the building and settlement of the city, which was surrounded by a defensive wall, integrated with the castle. Poznan was a major center for the fur trade by the late 16th century. Suburban settlements developed around the city walls, on the river islands, and on the right bank, however, the city's development was hampered by regular major fires and floods. In the 17th century and the 18th, Poznań was affected by a series of wars, attendant military occupations, lootings, and destruction – the Northern Wars, the War of the Polish Succession, and the Seven Years' War. It was also hit by outbreaks of plague, and by floods, particularly that of 1736, which destroyed most of the suburban buildings. The population declined from 20,000 around 1600 to 6,000 around 1730, and Bambergian and Dutch settlers were brought in to rebuild the devastated suburbs. In 1793, in the Second Partition of Poland, Poznań came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia. . The Stary Rynek (Old Market) was laid out as a marketplace for buying and selling goods when the city was founded in 1253. It has a square ground plan of about 141 m on each side and covers an area of about two hectares. Until WWII it was the center of the city's economic and political life. As a result of the war it was almost completely destroyed. After reconstruction, thanks to the successful restoration, it is now one of the city´s tourist attractions.

Sandomierz was one of the most important cities in the Polish section of the Via Regia, taking advantage of the location at the junction of the Vistula and San rivers. The first known historical mention of the city comes from the early 12th-century when it was already ranked as one of the main cities of Poland. The testament of Bolesław III Wrymouth, in which he divided Poland among his sons, designated Sandomierz as the capital of one of the resulting principalities, the Duchy of Sandomierz. In the early 13th century, the second oldest Dominican monastery in Poland was founded in Sandomierz. Within the 13th century, the city suffered grievous damage during the raids by Mongols in 1241, 1260, and 1287. The wooden buildings of the town were completely destroyed. As a result, in 1286 Leszek II the Black, effectively refounded the city. After the reunification of the Polish lands in the 14th century, the former principality became the Sandomierz Voivodeship, incorporating large areas of southeastern Poland. In the middle of the 14th century, the city was burned again during a raid by the Lithuanians. It was rebuilt during the rule of Casimir III of Poland, who extended its privileges. The layout of the city has survived practically unchanged from that time until the present day. Sandomierz prospered until the middle of the 17th century, but the prosperity came to an end in 1655 when Swedish troops captured the city. After briefly holding out in the city, the withdrawing Swedes blew up the castle and caused heavy damage to other buildings. A great fire in 1757 and the First Partition of Poland in 1772, which placed Sandomierz in Austria, further reduced its status. In 1809, during the Napoleonic Wars, fighting between the forces of Austria and the Duchy of Warsaw caused damage to the city. It became part of the short-lived Polish Duchy of Warsaw and after 1815 it found itself in the Russian Empire ("Congress Poland"). - The Town Hall, located in the center of the Stary Rynek (Old Market), was erected after the Lithuanian Invasion in 1349. The formerly Gothic, building had an octagonal tower. In the 16th century, the building was expanded, in the form of an extended rectangular structure. The tower seen today was built in the 17th century.