News
Urban's bell rang again at the Wawel Castle!
The origins of the Urban bell go back to 1364, when it was founded by King Casimir the Great for the church in Niepołomice erected in 1350-58; named in honour of Pope Urban V, who consented for the creation of an academy in Krakow. Brought to Wawel in 1449 by Cardinal Zbigniew Oleśnicki, who in return founded a new bell for Niepołomice,
the Urban was suspended on the new Wawel tower. The Urban bell was the most frequently used bell in the Cathedral, every morning, noon, and evening, and on less solemn holidays. This and the other bell - the Cardinal were used together before haigh masses. Intensive use resulted in its structure weakening - the bell cracked three times (in 1517, around 1670 and in 1751) and was cast anew. Its present form dates back to 1757. Among the numerous decorations on the bell, the following sentence stands out: "Keep us, Lord, as the pupil of the eye" (Ps 17: 8).
Renovated and re-suspended from the Urban tower, now the bell is powered by two linear motors. The bell's diameter is 167 cm, its height without a vice is 145 cm and weighs 2,628 kg, you can enjoy its sound every Sunday at 9:50 and on the most significant celebrations, when used together with the Sigmund bell.
(MCh)
Recommended articles
