In addition, the building remains an aesthetically pleasing part of the surrounding landscape, being the only surviving arcaded house in Sławków which retains its original form and function. The building also forms an important part of the street frontage, with the surrounding area also being included in the register of historical monuments as an urban complex.

History

Sławków is one of the oldest settlements in Poland, with the earliest mentions thereof in written sources dating back to the year 1220, where it is referred to as the location of a number of taverns the proceeds from which were allocated to the bishops of Cracow. The first reference to Sławków as a town dates back to 1286, the year which, by convention, is considered to be the date when it obtained municipal rights. The building, located at 2 Biskupia street (formerly 2 Kilińskiego street), was erected towards the end of the 18th century and constitutes a distinctive example of local architecture, being the only arcaded house in Sławków which has survived intact to the present day. Although the history of the building remains shrouded in mystery, according to the so-called green record sheet, the building underwent certain alteration works in 1932, while its relatively good current condition is the result of renovation works performed towards the end of the 20th century.

Description

The house is situated in the town centre, east of the market square, its front façade facing Biskupia street. The wooden log house is an archetypal example of the local small-town architecture. Designed on a rectangular floor plan, the single-storey building consists of two main parts: the front building as well as the back section containing the stables and the carriage house, their walls all covered with plaster. The elongated rear section of the house is positioned in parallel to the Little Market Square. The wide front section designed on a rectangular floor plan, is preceded by a projecting arcade supported by five Tuscan columns on cubiform pedestals - a typical feature of the few surviving historical buildings in Sławków. The shafts of the columns are covered with plaster. The compact structure of the house is covered with a hip roof with pronounced eaves up front. The main entrance takes the form of a two-leaf gate made of wooden planks, topped with a basket-handle arch and framed with a wooden surround. The entrance is positioned on the second easternmost axis, with the entire front façade following an asymmetrical, four-axial layout. The remaining façades are likewise asymmetrical, devoid of any decorative flourishes. According to the co-called green record sheet, originally the house features five residential spaces and a vestibule, with no information being available concerning its fixtures and fittings or interior décor.

The building can be viewed from the outside.

compiled by Agata Mucha, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Katowice, 21-04-2015.

Bibliography

• Record sheet (the so-called green record sheet), Dom mieszkalny Kilińskiego 2, 1959
• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, Vol. I: Województwo krakowskie, J. Szablowski (ed.), issue 12 Powiat olkuski, compiled by K. Kutrzebianka, Warsaw 1953, p. 35
• Ruszczyk G., Architektura drewniana w Polsce, Warsaw 2009, pp. 447
• Dzieje Sławkowa, F. Kiryk (ed.), Cracow 2001, pp. 596-599