Piotr Skarga Monument

The monument consists of a column with a figure standing on it. The column is placed on an elevated platform paved with small cobblestones. It has a metal base, intentionally damaged and broken in several places. There is an inscription engraved on it:

KS. PIOTR SKARGA-PAWESKI S.J. WIELKI KAPŁAN I PATRIOTA, AUTOR „KAZAŃ SEJMOWYCH” ZAŁOŻYCIEL ARCYBRACTWA MIŁOSIERDZIA, STARANIEM KTÓREGO POMNIK TEN WZNIESIONO W MILLENNIUM BISKUPSTWA KRAKOWSKIEGO I W ROKU WIELKIEGO JUBILEUSZU CHRZEŚCIJAŃSTWA KIEDY NA STOLICY PIOTROWEJ ZASIADAŁ JAN PAWEŁ II – PAPIEŻ Z RODU POLAKÓW, CZŁONEK ARCYBRACTWA MIŁOSIERDZIA ANNO DOMINI 2000

The following list of construction committee members is also on the base: Paweł Pytko - chairman, Stanisław Abrahamowicz, Małgorzata Chojnacka, Ewa Daniec, Andrzej Gaczoł, Andrzej Kadłuczka, Krystyna Jelonek-Litewka, Aleksander Litewka, Rev. Józef Andrzej Nowobilski, Krystyna Sieniawska, Rev. Adam Żak T.J, and the list of honorary committee members: Cardinal Franciszek Macharski - Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków, Bishop Stanisław Dziwisz - Prefect of the Papal Household of Pope John Paul II, Prof. Dr. Andrzej Gołaś - President of the Royal Capital City of Kraków, Stanisław Handzlik - Chairman of the Council of the Royal Capital City of Kraków, Dr. Ryszard Masłowski - Voivode of Lesser Poland, Rev. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marian Jakubiec - Pastor of the Holy Trinity Parish, Prof. Dr. Tadeusz Chrzanowski - SKOZK, Prof. Dr. Franciszek Ziejka - Rector of the Jagiellonian University, and Attorney Zbigniew Chojnacki - elder brother of the Brotherhood of Mercy.

The golden inscription "X. PIOTR SKARGA S.J. 1536-1612" is carved on the stone shaft of the column. The capital of the column is composite, and on it rests an abacus with a full-size sculpture of Piotr Skarga, placed asymmetrically, almost on the edge of the abacus. The preacher, dressed in a cassock with a stole around his neck, has his right hand raised, holding a book. A metal element resembling a spike flows down from his garment through the capital and a portion of the shaft. The face of the preacher is meticulously and realistically sculpted, in contrast to the sharp, faceted surface treatment of the remaining part of the statue.

The monument to Father Piotr Skarga in Krakow has faced criticism for its location, appearance, and execution. It was created without a competition or consultations with experts. The sculpture was commissioned by Arcybractwo Miłosierdzia, not the city, and the city council learned about it after receiving an invitation to its unveiling. The placement of the monument violated the original development project for the square, leading to objections from the architects involved. The monument was also criticized for its low artistic value and unrealistic portrayal of Skarga. Various organizations and individuals advocated for its removal.

Piotr Skarga, occasionally known as Piotr Powęski, was a prominent Polish Jesuit during the Counter-Reformation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Born on February 2, 1536, he was renowned for his skills as a preacher, hagiographer, polemicist, and advocate of reform.

Skarga earned the epithet "the Polish Bossuet" due to his impressive oratory. His legacy in Poland is characterized by his fervent support for reforms in the political structure of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and his critique of the ruling classes and religious tolerance policies. He strongly advocated for consolidating the monarch's authority at the expense of the parliament (the Sejm) and the nobility (the szlachta).

Throughout his career, Skarga held positions as a professor at the Kraków Academy and became the first rector of the Wilno Academy in 1579. He later served in the Jesuit College in Kraków. Besides his teaching endeavors, Skarga was a highly productive writer. One of his most famous works, "The Lives of the Saints" (Żywoty świętych, 1579), remained immensely popular in Polish literature for centuries. Another significant contribution was his political treatise, "Sejm Sermons" (Kazania Sejmowe, 1597), which gained popularity in the latter half of the 19th century. During this time, Skarga was regarded as a prophetic figure who foresaw the partitioning of Poland, earning him the reputation of a "patriotic seer."