St. Mary's Church, the Symbol of Krakow's Old Town (2) - Skyscrapers and the Sound of Trumpets: Takahiro Ueda, a Buddhist Priest, Around the World: Poland (3)
Continuing from my previous article, let's consider some more about St. Mary's Church in the Old Town of Krakow.
To reiterate, this church was built in 1222, and the tower is an imposing structure with a height of 82 meters.
When you enter a city, look for the tallest building.
That building represents the most cherished values in the city."
I have heard that somewhere.
The tallest building in the old town is this St. Mary's Church.
The square is built around this church, and the city is built around it.
In medieval Krakow, this church of St. Mary's was probably the one that offered the most cherished "values".
In other words, "Christian teaching."
So what kind of buildings are the tallest in modern Japan?
Think about it, it could be a TV tower or a business building.
If this is the case, it would seem that "economy" is the most important value in modern Japan, where we live.
Incidentally, in the past, large temples and stupas were the tallest buildings in Japan.
We are familiar with such structures as the Todaiji Temple in Nara and the five-story pagoda of Toji Temple in Kyoto.
It was eventually transformed into a castle with a keep, and then into a business building in the modern age.
You can get an idea of the flow of power in the world just by looking at tall buildings.
Temples are Buddhist, castles are military, and business buildings are economic.
It is interesting to look at history from the perspective of "buildings," albeit from a broad viewpoint.
Now, this 82-meter tower of St. Mary's Church, you can go up there if you make a reservation in advance.
So I had an opening in four hours, too, and decided to come back in time for that.
From the small entrance at the bottom of the tower, you just climb up the stairs.
The other participants were also out of breath. I, too, have sore feet.
Then you finally reach a space with a view of the outside.
From there, we had a panoramic view of the old town square.
It is said that in the past, they used to monitor enemy attacks from here and prepare for enemy attacks.
Accompanying it is the story of Krakow's famous trumpet.
In the past, when the Mongolian army swept down to Krakow, the sound of a bugle was blown from here to announce an enemy attack.
However, a Mongolian soldier shot the poor bugler with a bow and arrow, and he was left to breathe his last.
In memory of that event, it is still a tradition to blow the sound of a trumpet from this tower every hour.
When I actually waited in front of the tower at that time, I could indeed hear the sound of trumpets.
When I looked for where it was coming from, I found an open window at the top of the tower, through which I could see the trumpet.
This is the sound of Krakow's famous trumpet.
Aside from the tale of the trumpet, I was also surprised to learn that the Mongolian army had pushed into this part of Eastern Europe.
In the space at the top of the tower were pictures of those who are probably currently assigned to blow the trumpet.
I am sure it must be a very prestigious assignment.
When you visit Krakow, why not listen to the sound of this trumpet?
be unbroken
Next Article.
Click here to read the previous article.
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