History

The first stone structure was built here in the 14th century. At the turn of the 15th century and in the second half of the 16th century, it was rebuilt into a town residence. The house had a bad reputation: in 1537 it witnessed the famous architect Bartolomeo Berrecci stabbed to death in the street. In 1586 the house was owned by the Italian Cellari family, then it passed into the hands of the Guccis. “They convert it or one of the Gucci family rebuilt it in brick and stone. This can be inferred by the valuable ornaments and sculptures that still remain in this house as they are likely to come from the Gucci’s workshop. For many centuries, they worked in Kraków mainly as masons and sculptors.” After the Italian masons, the house was owned by Barbara Dębołęcka. At the end of the 18th century, the merchant Jakób Ponset lived and ran his business in the house; Katarzyna Brzozowska ran a café. Later, it belonged to the Słowakowicz and Likowski families who started their Under the Crown pharmacy. In the mid-19th century, Wojciech Like sold the house to Wiktoria Hegenberg. At her request, the third floor was added (after 1865). In 1874 the daughter of the famous merchant, Fischer, was persuaded by Countess Katarzyna Adamowa Potocka to sell her the house. Potocka rebuilt it in a Gdańsk townhouse style. From then on, the Gucowska building became known as Under the Lamb House by reference to the neighbouring Under the Rams Palace. The Potocki family rebuilt the house in the years 1874-1880 (based on Jacek Matusiński’s design) and gave it its current name. The building was altered again after 1950, and in the years 1990-1993 the ground floor was adapted to accommodate a bank facility.

Description

A four-level, three-axis townhouse with a façade similar to Gdańsk Mannerist houses, inspired by Dutch architecture, and topped with a high volute gable with a semicircular tympanum. Despite many alterations over the centuries, Gothic and Renaissance ceilings, as well as late Gothic and Renaissance portals, have been preserved in some of the rooms.

The site is partly available: freely from the outside but inside only during the working hours of the stores and institutions.

Author of the note Roman Marcinek, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Kraków 20/04/2016

Bibliography

• Dyba O., Kraków. Zabytki architektury i budownictwa, Warszawa 2007
• Encyklopedia Krakowa, Warszawa – Kraków 2000.
• Fabiański M., Purchla J., Historia architektury Krakowa w zarysie, Kraków 2001
• Komorowski W., Sudacka A., Rynek Główny w Krakowie, Ossolineum 2008
• Komorowski W., Pałace miejskie Krakowa 1. połowy XIX w., “Teki Krakowskie”, vol. XIII
• Rożek M., Przewodnik po zabytkach i kulturze Krakowa, Kraków 1993
• Marcinek R., Kraków, Kraków 2001