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The
Wonder of Medieval Needlework, 'Kmita's Chasuble' in
Krakow's Cathedral Museum.
Wawel
Cathedral’s 500-year-old chasuble ranks with the world’s
top masterpieces of Gothic needlework. Its relief-like
three-dimensional scenes from the life of St. Stanislav,
Krakow’s 11th-century bishop-martyr and Poland’s patron
saint, embroidered with unbelievable precision and realism,
match the best sculpture of the late 15th c. Naturalistic
features of tiny heads and detailed faithfulness of depiction
(complete with open wound on the saint’s skull where sword
struck) are truly stunning. And masterly, dramatic composition
arrests attention. The chasuble was donated in 1503 by one
Piotr Kmita, then governor of the Krakow province, to
commemorate the 250 anniversary of St. Stanislav’s
canonization (the donor’s coat of arms takes up the bottom
one of eight pictures arranged in a cross). Now the amazing
robe, known as "ornat Kmity" ("Kmita's
chasuble") is the pride of the Cathedral Museum on the
Wawel Hill, displayed permanently alongside its other treasures of
church art.
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Poland's prime tourist attraction and a
must in Central Europe boasts numerous
world-class monuments, charming vistas,
delightful atmosphere, and the best restaurants.
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