Czartoryski Princes Lane
Originally built in 1566 and only one-storey, the City Arsenal stored gunpowder, cannons and rifles. In the late 19th century it became home to the Czartoryski Library, and later the Czartoryski collection's Gallery of Ancient Art. Rumour is that soon it will reopen to display the National Museum's Gallery of Weaponry & Uniforms.
In front of the Arsenal stands a sculpture by Danish-Icelandic artist Berthel Thordwaldsen (1770-1884). Labelled simply 'Mercury,' the full title of the piece is actually 'Mercury Before the Assassination of Argus,' making it a bit more than it appears. According to Greek Myth, Argus was a giant with hundreds of eyes, assigned by the goddess Hera to keep her husband Zeus away from his lover Io, who Hera had turned into a white cow. Zeus sent Apollo/Mercury to kill Argus and bring him the heifer, which he did by first lulling the behemoth to sleep with his lute. Take a look at the sculpture now and you'll see that Apollo/Mercury has done this and is now about to deliver the killing blow.
Associated Venues
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Originally built in the mid-15th century, this space - which is incorporated into Kraków's defensive walls - once stored the city's armoury, m
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