Raków
Historical Towns and Villages
Founded in 1567 in ‘cruda radice’ (on a previously empty site) by Jan Sienieński of the Dębno coat of arms, castellan of Żarnów and voivode of Podole. The former capital of the Arians, also known as the Polish Brethren (a radical Protestant group). In 1602, the famous Raków Academy was established here.
The town’s growth was halted by the expulsion of Arians in 1638. The preserved historic buildings include: the mayor’s house and the 16th century house of the minister of the Polish Brethren congregation (next to the church). The Church of the Holy Trinity was built by Jakub Zadzik, the Bishop of Kraków, on the site of the demolished Arian church in the years 1640-1645. Halfway between Raków and Dębno, a former burial place of the Polish Brethren is located, known as the Luterska Górka (Luther‘s Hill).
