The exhibition hosted at the Wieliczka Saltworks Castle showcases some 150 precious artefacts from the treasury of the Parish of St Clement. Some of the most precious ones include exhibits listed among the greatest achievements of goldsmithing in Poland. These include three monumental monstrances, including the most valuable one made in 1490, commissioned by Jan Borzymowski, one of the administrators of the Kraków Saltworks, as well as two late-Gothic crucifixes and high-grade ampullae. The exhibition also features old Polish paintings, including the Crucifixion triptych with Rosary scenes, painted in Lesser Poland after 1607. The historic book collection is represented by incunabula and other old prints, mainly dating back to the 16th – 18th centuries.
The exhibition marks the start of the 200th year since the consecration of the Church of St Clement in Wieliczka. The existing temple is the third one built on the same plot. Back in the day, the Parish of St Clement was one of the richest in Poland, as a parish in the capital city and a mining town. Professors of the Jagiellonian University served as pastors there. The parish had strong ties with Kraków Saltworks – the municipal company, which managed the “Wieliczka” Salt Mine. The church housed altars sponsored by the brotherhoods of mine workers. The exhibition features some of the furnishings funded by miners in the 16th century – a chalice and a reliquary cross.
