Kraków w przestrzeni pielgrzymkowej świata. Potencjał i perspektywy rozwoju turystyki religijnej stolicy Małopolski

Mróz, Franciszek

Annales Universitatis Paedagogicae Cracoviensis. Studia Geographica, Tome 13 (2019) no. 1, pp. 40-56.

Résumé

Cracow belongs to the group of major centres of religious tourism with global reach. Cracow pilgrimage traditions go back to the 12th century. In the peak period of medieval pilgrimage movement in the 15th century, 17 loca sacra were registered in Cracow. At the end of the 16th century, due to numerous churches featuring miraculous images, relics and tombs of saints and the blessed, Cracow started taking on the name of “a second Rome” (Cracovia alter Roma). The election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyła to the Holy See (16th October 1978) triggered another stage of development of pilgrimage and religious tourism to the capital of Lesser Poland. It coincided with the entering of the Old City in Cracow on the UNESCO World andCultural Heritage List – as one of 12 sites in the world to be entered first. In the last two decades, in the urban space of Cracow in the scope of pilgrimage and religious tourism, two trends can be distinguished: revival of the cult in medieval pilgrimage centres and the emergence of new pilgrimage centres: the Divine Mercy Shrine in Łagiewniki, “Do not be afraid!” Centre – the Shrine of St. John Paul II in Białe Morza, Ecce Homo Shrine of St. Brother Albert, and the Sanctuary of Fátima in Bieńczyce. Currently, Cracow is known in the Christian world as a global centre of the cult of Divine Mercy, “the Papal Town” – one of the most important centres of the cult of John Paul II, next to the Vatican City and Wadowice, and one of 13 cities in the world to have hosted World Youth Day (2016). Currently, there are over 30 shrines in the city. They are mostly shrines of saints and the blessed, as well as Marian Shrines with crowned images of the Mother of God. Global importance is enjoyed by the Divine Mercy Shrine in Łagiewniki and the Shrine of St. John Paul II in Białe Morza, each visited by about 2 million people a year. The study demonstrates what elements determine the international repute of Cracow. Based on field research, in-depth interviews and the Plan of actions for the development of religious tourism in Cracow by 2020, perspectives of development of religious tourism in the city in the next decade have been presented.

Détail

Mots-clés : Kraków, ośrodek pielgrzymkowy; pielgrzymki; sanktuarium; turystyka religijna
Keywords: Cracow, pilgrimage; pilgrimage center; religious tourism; sanctuary