Skałka is a small hillock in Krakow, where the Bishop of Krakow Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów was slain by the order of Polish King, Bolesław II the Bold, in 1079. This action resulted in the king’s exile and the eventual canonization of the slain bishop. Originally, a Romanesque church was built there. King Casimir III raised a new Gothic church in its place. It is one of the most famous Polish sanctuaries.
In 1733-1751 the church received a Baroque décor. The official name of the church is Church of St Michael the Archangel and St Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr and Pauline Fathers Monastery, and the word “Skałka” means a small rock in Polish.
The crypt underneath the church serves as a national Pantheon–a burial place for some of the most distinguished Poles, particularly those who lived in Krakow. These include, among others, Jan Długosz, Wincenty Pol, Adam Asnyk, Stanisław Wyspiański, Jacek Malczewski, Karol Szymanowski, Ignacy Kraszewski, and Czesław Miłosz.