The history of Rzeszów begins in 1354, when it received city rights and privileges by Casimir the Great.  Local trade routes connecting the European Continent with the Middle East  and the Ottoman Empire resulted in the city’s early prosperity and development. In the 16th century, Rzeszów had a connection with Gdansk and the Baltic Sea. Following the Partitions of Poland, Rzeszów was annexed by the Austrian Empire and did not regain its position until it returned to Poland after WW1. During WW2, Rzeszów’s large Jewish community perished in the Holocaust.  I visited the Synagogue’s art gallery to see the latest exhibition, a Pisarek family affair it seems -Krzysztof, Renata and Anna. Liked the portraits and the horse!     Then onto Sandomierz….

It’s one of the oldest and historically most significant cities in Poland. Archeological finds around the city indicate that humans have inhabited the area since neolithic times.The city came into existence in the early Middle Ages, taking advantage of an excellent location at the junction of Vistula and San rivers, and on the path of important trade routes. The first known historical mention of the city comes from the early 12thC, when the chronicler Gallus Anonymus ranked it together with Krakow and Wroclaw as one of the main cities of Poland.

In the middle of the 14thC, the city was burned again during a raid by the Lithuanians. It was rebuilt in the 14thC during the rule of king Casimir 111 of Poland.
The layout of the city has survived practically unchanged since that time until the present day.The Cathedral is Gothic, constructed in 1360. Renovated in the Baroque style in the 18thC. My favourite religious place in the country!!! Jan Dlugosz (House Museum)…Polish priest, diplomat, chronicler of historic events, soldier and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Olesnicki of Krakow. Wrote about the 1410 Battle of Grunwald. Young people today dressed in costumes of older decades. Such fun! Check out the mosaic….I will never have the patience to do such fine work! But can totally appreciate it.