The Piarist Monastery

The Regional Museum in Rzeszow is located in a 17th-century building,which alongside the church and the school was once an integral part of the Piarist monastery complex. Rich museum collecti ons are exhibited inthe secti ons: Archeology, Art, History and in the Library. There is also a workshop specializing in the Preservati on of Works of Art. The unique interiors and very good acousti cs of the refectory are used for concerts, poetry evenings, meeti ngs, theatre monodramas. On the grounds of a spacious and atmospheric pleasure garden numerous outdoor events take place, e.g. “Museum Night”. OPENING HOURS Tuesday - Thursday: 9:00-15:30 Friday: 10:00-17:30 Sunday: 10:00-16:00

The museum presents puppets, stage design and decoration props from past performances. During over 50 years of artistic activity, the Theatre has produced more than 200 premieres. It has collaborated with the most eminent scenographers of Polish puppet theatre, Jan Berdyszak, Ali Bunsch, Adam Kilian, Andrzej Aleksander Łabińc , Leokadia Serafinowicz, Raymond Strzelecki, Zenobiusz Strzelecki, among others. The creation of the Museum of Theatre Puppets has made it possible for viewers to see the rich collections previously kept in theatre storage. The Museum is a place of popularization and promotion of the art of puppet theatre, therefore it is the right place for the theatre education of children and teenagers. OPENING HOURS Monday - Friday: 9:00-14:00 On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, after a phone call, a minimum of two days before the planned visit.

Museum of bedtime cartoons from Wojciech Jama’s collection in Rzeszow is a place that evoking many emotions and memories. The collection consists of original dolls from the films: Teddy Bear, Colargol Bear Adventures, Little Penguin Pik-Pok, Three Bears, Plastus Diary, Jacek and Agatka; celluloids, drafts and scenery projects of animated drawings: Reksio , Bolek and Lolek, Baltasar Gąbka’s kidnapping, and many everyday objects with images of cartoon characters. The museum organizes many exhibitions, competitions, events and is responsible for creative educational activities and projections. Watching the collection is great fun for children, and some older guests can go back for a while to revisit their own childhood.

The Dairy Museum is located in the Food Schools Complex, in the halls of the former School Dairy Plant. It was created by enthusiasts who have assembled a unique collection of milk centrifuges, cheese and buttermilk machines, and even a steam engine. The exposition is supplemented by documents and photographs about the history of the school and dairy cooperatives. During the European Museum Night there are many exhibitions and competitions for visitors.

Wanda Siemaszkowa Theatre is the only professional dramatic theatre that has been operating in Podkarpackie Province since 7 October 1944. It plays an important role in shaping cultural life in south-eastern Poland. In addition to production, it runs Szajna Gallery organizes a significant competition - International Theatre Poster Biennale, and organizes two nationwide theatre reviews - Rzeszow Theatre Meetings and Rzeszow Carnival Meetings. The repertoire of the Theatre is varied in terms of genre and style, and thus addressed to various age groups. Wanda Siemaszkowa Theatre actively conducts educational activities for children and the youth. Student premiers, theatre tours or theatre workshops are just some of our proposals that allow young people to get to know the theatre from the inside. Ticket office: From Tuesday to Friday 16:00-19:00 Saturday and Sunday 14:00-19:00

On 13 March 1997, at the 75th anniversary of his birth and the 50th anniversary of creative work of the world-famous theatre producer and an artist - Professor Jozef Szajna, the adapted attic of the theatre saw the opening of the gallery of the artist’s works. It is the only exhibition of Professor Jozef Szajna’s works in Poland and in the world, one of the most important artists of the 20th century. All the works that can be seen in the Gallery are gifts from Professor to Rzeszow - the city where he was born. Jozef Szajna’s body of work is shown in terms of aesthetic transformations, hence we can admire here paintings and objects, puppets, drawings and collages created during various periods of the artist’s life. There are 54 works in the gallery: monumental paintings, drawings, collages , spatial compositions and stage design items from Szajna’s most outstanding theatrical performances. The exhibition is a retrospective presentation of the artist’s work. Next to the works shown at many prestigious exhibitions in Poland and abroad, there are new exhibitions from the last period of his work. Since its inception, the Gallery has been a meeting place for artists representing various fields: artists, writers, musicians, theatre people.

“Maska” Theatre in Rzeszow is the only professional theatre in Podkarpackie Province. The theatre repertoire includes plays for children, adolescents and adults. The number of shows per year is 350 on average, and the number of viewers reaches over 55,000. It produces plays on its own stage in Rzeszow and around the entire Podkarpackie Province. The Theatre is engaged in theatre education, which introduces young viewers to the secrets of theatre art. It has a Museum of Theatre Puppets, where you can see dolls, decorations and stage designs. It is involved in the organization of such events as: “Maskarada”, Festival of Theatres of Animated forms and “Sources of Memory. Szajna-Grotowski-Kantor. “ “Maska” Theatre in Rzeszow was created on the basis of The Puppet and Actor Theatre “Kacperek”, a place with a long tradition.

Przedmieście Theatre was created in 2001 on the initiative of Aneta Adamska. She quickly created a consistent vision of working on shows. In August 2006, the team changed its headquarters to Lancut, where it worked until August 2010. Since then, the theatre has been operating independently and exhibiting its art in Rzeszow. The theatre creates original plays and performances inspired by works of Polish and world literature.

UNDERGROUND TOURIST ROUTE „RZESZOW CELLARS” Underground Tourist Route, 369 m long, runs under the tenant houses and the Market Square. It consists of 25 basements and 15 corridors, reaching up to 10 m deep under the ground, named to refl ect their functi on and the town’s history. You can fi nd there the relics of medieval walls, signs of fi re, remains of iron bars and hinges, few hundred’s years old hand shaped bricks, hidden passages. In lowe parts various goods were stored and during the Tatar invasions and wars they consti tuted a shelter for the inhabitants of the castle. There is a Tourist Informati on Desk at the entrance to the Underground Tourist Route.

ST.STANISLAUS AND ST. WOJCIECH FARA CHURCH The church probably existed before 1363, but it was destroyed during the great fi re. Only the Gothic presbytery, dati ng back to the beginning of the 15th century, remained. In the fi rst half of the 17th century a belfry was erected, and in 1754 the main aisle was rebuilt, lateral aisles were added and it was given a baroque décor. In the chancel there are gravestones of the Rzeszow’s families. In the years 1962-1965 a thorough restorati on of the church took place.

The oldest street in Rzeszow’s old town, at the same time the most representative. There is the fara church, the Piarist convent, the statue of Tadeusz Nalepa, many dining options, “Zorza” cinema - the oldest cinema in the city. The street before the partitions was called Pijarska. On the map from 1826 it is listed as Expiaristengasse, or popijarska, but two years later it was already known as Herrengasse - Pańska street. In the interwar period, despite having the official name of “3 Maja” it was called “Pańska” and also “Paniega”. After the renovation in 2017, the street gained a pre-war look. As a result of the archaeological work carried out at the house No. 14, a window of time has been created showing how the street surface has changed over the centuries.

The Piarist Convention included a church, a monastery and a school. The postpiarist complex featres the church of St. Cross in the centre, built between 1644-1649 according to the design of Tylman of Gameren. It is a one-nave temple with two towers in the facade and a chapel on the north side. Late baroque decor with stucco decorations by Jan Ch. Falconi from the end of the 17th century. In the chancel, at the entrance to the sacristy, there is a mausoleum of the Lubomirskis family. In the monastery building there is now the Regional Museum, with rich collections in the fields of art, history, ethnography and archaeology, exhibited in the form of permanent exhibitions (e.g. Galeria Dąbskich) or temporary exhibitions. In the old refectory you can see frescoes from the end of the 17th century. The Piarists founded the Collegium Ressoviense next to the monastery in 1658. Fr. Stanislaw Konarski taught here - currently the patron of Secondary School No. 1. The school is one of the oldest in Poland. Many of its students were glorified on the pages of Polish history and in culture. Ignacy Łukasiewicz, Jozef S. Pelczar, Wladyslaw Sikorski, Władysław Szafer or Julian Przyboś.

The construction of the castle was started at the end of the 16th century by the contemporary owner of Rzeszow - Nicholas Spytek Ligęza. In the second half of the 17th century the Lubomirskis expanded the castle and encamped it with a stone wall with bastions. It owes its current appearance to the last redevelopment performed at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. At present, the castle houses the District Court. Transformation of the castle nto a cultural institution is being planned at the moment.

At the foot of the Castle is there is the Rzeszow Multimedia Fountain. The main attraction of the fountain complex are water jets dancing to the music and foggy water screen, where audience can watch film, laser and 3D presentations. Next to the fountain there is an amphitheatre, where you can watch spectacles, which are a combination of music, light and moving water.

Round footbridge is the only object of this type in Europe. In addition to its innovative shape, it is distinguished by the selection of finishing materials: specially bent and hardened glass, elevator shafts, exotic wood, resistant to changing weather conditions alongside illumination of the whole object. This unique structure was created over the intersection of al. Piłsudskiego and Grunwaldzka St.- one of the most frequented places of the main communication artery in Rzeszow. Thanks to its location, the footbridge provides an excellent viewpoint.

Bernardine monastery with The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church was established in the first half of the 17th century. Originally it was the site of a wooden church, built in 1536. In the chancel there are gravestones of the Ligęza family. At the Shrine of Our Lady of Rzeszow - Patroness of Rzeszow - there is a late Gothic figurine of Our Lady with the Child from 1513. In 2008 the church received the title of Minor Basilica. At the foot of the Monastery there are Bernardine Gardens arranged in Italian style. They are open every day 7:00-21:00.