The Bishop's Palace is the second largest palace in Kraków (after Wawel) and has been the residence of Kraków's bishops since it was first built in the 14th century. Today the Palace is most famous for having been the residence of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla from 1958 to 1978, before he became Pope John Paul II. During his visits to Kraków as Pope he would often make evening appearances in the 'Papal Window' to address the crowds of his followers below - a tradition which Pope Francis continued during his visit for World Youth Day in July 2016. For years an image of John Paul II has filled the window (making it easy to identify); recently this was replaced with a beautiful mosaic image of the former Pope by Magdalena Czeska. During anniversaries you can be sure the area across the street will be festooned with flowers and candles. The building itself is off-limits, but the courtyard is open to tourists where you'll find the city's first monument of JPII, erected in 1980.
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