Diocesan Museum in Tarnów

The Diocesan Museum in Tarnów, established on October 25, 1888, by Father Józef Bąba, is the oldest institution of its kind in Poland. It is located in a complex of historic 16th-century townhouses at Cathedral Square, adjacent to the Tarnów Cathedral. The museum has numerous branches, including parish branches in cities such as Bobowa, Chełm, Grybów, and Krynica, as well as the Center of Folk Art named after Father Edward Nitka in Paszyn. The main collections of the museum are divided into four departments: guild art artifacts, church textiles, folk art, and works from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Among the exhibits is a Gothic sculpture of the head of St. John the Baptist from the 13th century, considered the museum's oldest treasure. The history of the museum reflects changes in Polish culture and artistic values—from 1931 to 1940, the collections were displayed in the town hall before being moved to their current location. In 1957, the museum was enriched by a donation from Norbert Lippóczy, which added embroideries, ceramics, and paintings on glass to its collection. The townhouse housing the museum was once known as Akademiola, a former branch of the University of Kraków. The Tarnów Diocesan Museum is not only an important repository of sacred artifacts but also a center for the promotion of local culture and art.