Collegium Maius, Gothic university building in Old Town, Kraków, Poland.
The Collegium Maius is a Gothic university building in the Old Town of Kraków, organized around a rectangular courtyard with covered arcades made of brick and stone. The rooms are spread across several floors, with each wing containing former lecture halls and living quarters for professors.
King Władysław Jagiełło purchased a corner tenement in 1400 using funds from Queen Jadwiga's will to create the first residence for the university. Over the following decades, neighboring plots were added and the complex gradually expanded into an academic center.
The arcaded courtyard preserves the layout where students once gathered between lectures, with Latin inscriptions on plaques reminding visitors of the academic ceremonies held here. Inside, wooden-carved ceilings and original benches show how scholars worked and taught in earlier centuries.
The museum offers guided visits on weekdays until early afternoon, while self-guided walks are available for those who prefer to explore at their own pace. The entrance is located at the corner of Jagiellońska Street and can be reached on foot from most points in the Old Town.
A clock in the courtyard performs every two hours with a melody, while carved wooden figures of Polish kings and professors move in procession. This mechanical display regularly draws passersby who pause to watch the performance unfold.
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