St. John's Square, Sanok

St. John's Square
View from the Market Square. On the left: Inn at 2 Zamkowa Street and Zaleski Villa
View from the Market Square. On the left: Inn at 2 Zamkowa Street and Zaleski Villa
Native namePlac św. Jana (Polish)
LocationSanok
Coordinates49°33′40.3″N 22°12′29″E / 49.561194°N 22.20806°E / 49.561194; 22.20806
View of the square from the Zaleski Villa

St. John's Square (Polish: Plac św. Jana) is a square-shaped town square in the center of Sanok, Poland.

History

St. John's Square is located in the center of Sanok, in the Downtown district.[1] Originally named "St. John Square", it was developed as a green space in 1892 by the municipal engineer.[2] On 28 September 1902, a Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument, designed by sculptor Julian Markowski, was unveiled in the square. From then on, the square and monument became a gathering place for patriotic youth during national holidays.[3] The monument was destroyed by Nazi occupiers in April 1941. Dr. Karol Zaleski, who lived nearby, noted that the monument was placed "over the cellars of some former new house".[4]

During the German occupation in World War II, the square was renamed to the German-language St. Johann Platz.[5] In 1953, during the Polish People's Republic, the city council renamed it Hanka Sawicka Square.[6][7] In early 1968, Sanok National Council member Jan Bezucha proposed reverting to the original name, St. John's Square.[6] At the time, a Hanka Sawicka Street already existed in Sanok (since 1951).[6][8] The proposal was supported by other council members, including Stefan Stefański (then director of the Sanok Historical Museum, who was dismissed from his position as a result)[9] and Mieczysław Przystasz (dismissed from his role as head of the Planning Department in the Sanok County Council Presidium).[10][11] Jadwiga Zaleska also supported the initiative. According to Father Adam Sudoł, "many people suffered for attempting to restore the original name of St. John's Square".[12] In 1989, the Sanok City Council restored the name St. John's Square.[13][14]

In the late 1970s, the city commissioned a redesign of the square, but the proposed plan was not implemented.[15] Until the early 21st century, the square was largely covered with greenery and trees. From November 2005 to December 2007, a revitalization project for Market Square and St. John's Square was carried out, following a design competition won by Neoinwest from Kielce in December 2004.[16] The project included reconstruction, renovation of selected facades, modernization of water supply, sanitary and stormwater sewage systems, installation of lighting (lamps and surface lights), removal of trees, addition of benches, and paving with cobblestones. Reconstruction began in January 2007.[17]

Locally, the square has been colloquially referred to as "Pedal Square" or "Pedals' Square".[18]

Sanok-related poet Jan Szelc wrote a poem titled Plac św. Jana in 2003, published in the poetry collection Odmawiam góry.[19]

Objects in the square

  • A statue of St. John of Nepomuk[20] from the late 18th century[21] near the Zaleski Villa, believed to have been funded in 1810 by Franciszek Ksawery Krasicki as a votive offering for surviving a horseback escape down a steep slope to the San river after the failed defense of Sanok Castle against the Austrians in June 1809.[7][22][23] The statue, approximately 5.5 meters tall, contains a figure of St. John of Nepomuk. It was restored in 2000 by conservator Barbara Bandurka.[24] The statue was renovated by 2002 through the efforts of Jerzy Wielgosz.[25]
  • In the past, the square featured a sculpture, Diana with a Fawn, by Roman Tarkowski, which was relocated near the Sanok Castle in the early 21st century.[26]

References

  1. ^ "O dzielnicy" [About the District]. sanoksrodmiescie.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 16 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Księga uchwał Rady miejskiej od 1887 do stycznia 1892. T. X" [Minutes of the City Council from 1887 to January 1892. Vol. X]. sanockabibliotekacyfrowa.pl (in Polish). p. 350. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  3. ^ Zając, Edward (1998). Szkice z dziejów Sanoka [Sketches from the History of Sanok] (in Polish). Sanok: Miejska Biblioteka Publiczna im. Grzegorza z Sanoka. pp. 77–78.
  4. ^ Zaleski, Karol. Pamiętnik dr Karola Zaleskiego [Memoirs of Dr. Karol Zaleski] (in Polish). Archiwum Muzeum Budownictwa Ludowego w Sanoku. p. 1.
  5. ^ Amtliches Fernsprechbuch für das Generalgouvernement [Official Telephone Directory for the General Government] (in German). Deutsche Post Osten. 1940. p. 36.
  6. ^ a b c Stachowicz, Władysław (2008). "Nr 8: Samorząd Gminy Miasta Sanoka 1867–1990. Miejska Rada Narodowa w Sanoku 1950–1990" [Issue 8: Municipal Government of Sanok 1867–1990. Sanok City Council 1950–1990]. Zeszyty Archiwum Ziemi Sanockiej (in Polish). 8. Sanok: Fundacja Archiwum Ziemi Sanockiej: 137, 141, 211. ISSN 1731-870X.
  7. ^ a b Romaniak, Andrzej (2009). Sanok. Fotografie archiwalne – Tom I [Sanok. Archival Photographs – Volume I] (in Polish). Sanok: Muzeum Historyczne w Sanoku. pp. 82, 94, 164, 248, 252. ISBN 978-83-60380-26-0.
  8. ^ Szuber, Janusz (2005). Mojość (in Polish). Sanok: Oficyna Wydawnicza Miejskiej Biblioteki Publicznej im. Grzegorza z Sanoka. p. 22. ISBN 83-919470-8-4.
  9. ^ Stefański, Stefan (2005). Kartki z przeszłości Sanoka [Pages from Sanok's Past] (in Polish). p. 5.
  10. ^ Romaniak, Andrzej (30 April 2009). "Sanok nie zapomni. Suplement" [Sanok Will Not Forget. Supplement] (PDF). Tygodnik Sanocki (in Polish). 18 (912): 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2017.
  11. ^ Sudoł, Adam (1999). Polska Ojczyzna moja. Część II [Poland, My Homeland. Part II] (in Polish). pp. 260–261.
  12. ^ Sudoł, Adam (2001). Wybór z Księgi Ogłoszeń Parafii Przemienienia Pańskiego w Sanoku (lata 1967–1995) [Selections from the Book of Announcements of the Transfiguration Parish in Sanok (1967–1995)] (in Polish). p. 290. ISBN 83-914224-7-X.
  13. ^ "Nowe nazwy sanockich ulic" [New Names for Sanok Streets]. Gazeta Sanocka – Autosan (in Polish). 13 (484). Sanocka Fabryka Autobusów: 4. 1–10 May 1989.
  14. ^ "Nowe nazwy sanockich ulic" [New Names for Sanok Streets]. Gazeta Sanocka – Autosan (in Polish). 32 (503). Sanocka Fabryka Autobusów: 1–2. 20–30 November 1989.
  15. ^ Tarkowski, Roman (1992). Kartki z przeszłości [Pages from the Past] (in Polish). Kraków: Universitas. p. 91. ISBN 83-7052-091-X.
  16. ^ Osenkowski, Zbigniew (2006). "Kalendarium sanockie 2001–2004" [Sanok Chronicle 2001–2004]. Rocznik Sanocki (in Polish). IX. Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Sanoka i Ziemi Sanockiej: 446. ISSN 0557-2096.
  17. ^ Och, Waldemar (2011). "Kalendarium sanockie 2005-2010" [Sanok Timeline 2005–2010]. Rocznik Sanocki (in Polish). X: 267.
  18. ^ Grzebałkowska, Magdalena (2014). Beksińscy. Portret podwójny [The Beksińskis. A Dual Portrait] (in Polish). Kraków: Znak. p. 179. ISBN 978-83-240-2874-0.
  19. ^ Szelc, Jan (2004). Odmawiam góry [I Refuse the Mountains] (in Polish). Sanok: Oficyna Wydawnicza Miejskiej Biblioteki Publicznej w Sanoku. p. 67. ISBN 83-919470-7-6.
  20. ^ "Nepomuki dawnego woj. ruskiego I RP (Podkarpackie)" [Statues of Saint John of Nepomuk in the Former Ruthenian Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (Podkarpackie)]. Nepomuki (in Polish). Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  21. ^ Stefański, Stefan (1991). Sanok i okolice. Przewodnik turystyczny [Sanok and Surroundings. Tourist Guide] (in Polish). p. 37.
  22. ^ Śnieżyńska-Stolot, Ewa; Stolot, Franciszek (1995). "Sztuka Sanoka między Sanokiem a Wschodem" [The Art of Sanok Between Sanok and the East]. In Kiryk, Feliks (ed.). Sanok. Dzieje miasta [Sanok. History of the City] (in Polish). Kraków: Secesja. p. 948.
  23. ^ "Ścieżka spacerowa „Śladami Rodu Beksińskich" w Sanoku. 2. Plac Św. Jana, Rynek" [Walking Trail "In the Footsteps of the Beksiński Family" in Sanok. 2. St. John's Square, Market Square]. zymon.com.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 21 January 2016.
  24. ^ Ziobro, Jolanta (22 December 2000). "Święty u doktora" [Saint at the Doctor's]. Tygodnik Sanocki (in Polish). 52 (476–477): 5.
  25. ^ Gajewski, Benedykt (4 October 2002). "Nowy dom św. Jana" [New Home for St. John]. Tygodnik Sanocki (in Polish). 40 (569): 6.
  26. ^ "Chrońmy urocze zakątki naszego miasta" [Let's Protect the Charming Corners of Our City]. Gazeta Sanocka – Autosan (in Polish). 8 (209). Sanocka Fabryka Autobusów: 6. 10–20 March 1981.
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