Historic sites

The Old Cemetery in Tarnów

On Narutowicza Street in Tarnów, on the former Zabłocie suburb, lies a necropolis older than Warsaw's Powązki and Kraków's Rakowice. The Old Cemetery, once called the Zabłocie Cemetery, has operated since about 1787 — its founding followed the decree of Emperor Joseph II of 1784, which ordered the closure of cemeteries inside towns. Around 80,000 people have been buried here.

Gravestones like sculpture

The oldest surviving gravestones date from the end of the 18th century and count among valuable monuments of sacred art. The oldest, a baroque stone from 1795, commemorates Duchess Maria née Lubomirska Radziwiłł, wife of Prince Karol Radziwiłł. The cemetery also serves as a national necropolis — heroes and soldiers of uprisings and independence wars rest here.

Campo Santo and the Rabacja

The insurrection quarter, number V, is called Campo Santo and is regarded as the most important place of remembrance for the people of Tarnów. The cemetery also holds the monument to the victims of the Rabacja, the Galician Slaughter — the peasant uprising of February 1846 led by Jakub Szela. More than 1,000 people, mostly landowners, were killed, and the bodies of the victims were brought to Tarnów.

The Sanguszko chapel

Above the cemetery rises the funeral chapel of the Sanguszko family, usually open to visitors throughout November. Beneath the chapel lie crypts with the family's tombs.