Alwernia
Encyclopedia
Alwernia AUD is a Polish town situated some 36 km west of Kraków
in the Chrzanów
district of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship
(before 1999 it formed part of the Kraków Voivodeship
). The town, as well as possessing a large chemical works, is a centre for recreation and tourism.
hermitage of La Verna
in Tuscany
, Italy
. It was bestowed on the locality in 1616 by the castellan Krzysztof Koryciński. A monastery
of the order of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi was built on high ground between 1625 and 1656. The church dates from the period 1630 to 1676.
Below the monastery a settlement developed which in 1776 received the right to hold a market
. In 1796 Alwernia is mentioned as being a (small) commercial and administrative centre.
In 1926 a chemical works was established in the southern part of the town; today it is Alwernia's biggest employer. Its attractive setting and proximity to Kraków led to the town's growth and in 1993 Alwernia was granted full civic status.
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
in the Chrzanów
Chrzanów
Chrzanów is a town in south Poland with 39,704 inhabitants . It is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and is the capital of Chrzanów County.- To 1809:...
district of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Małopolska Voivodeship , or Lesser Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, in southern Poland...
(before 1999 it formed part of the Kraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship
Kraków Voivodeship, refers to several historical Voivodeships of Poland in the surrounding regions, with the city of Kraków as its capital.- Kraków Voivodeship 1975-1998 :...
). The town, as well as possessing a large chemical works, is a centre for recreation and tourism.
History
The name of the town is taken from that of the FranciscanFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
hermitage of La Verna
La Verna
La Verna, in Latin Alverna and geographically known as Monte Penna, is a locality on Mount Penna, an isolated mountain of 1,283 m situated in the centre of the Tuscan Apennines, rising above the valley of the Casentino, central Italy...
in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It was bestowed on the locality in 1616 by the castellan Krzysztof Koryciński. A monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
of the order of the Stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi was built on high ground between 1625 and 1656. The church dates from the period 1630 to 1676.
Below the monastery a settlement developed which in 1776 received the right to hold a market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
. In 1796 Alwernia is mentioned as being a (small) commercial and administrative centre.
In 1926 a chemical works was established in the southern part of the town; today it is Alwernia's biggest employer. Its attractive setting and proximity to Kraków led to the town's growth and in 1993 Alwernia was granted full civic status.