Cathedral Island, or Ostrów Tumski, is regarded as the oldest part of Wroclaw. It remained a true island until 1824, when a branch of the river near Cathedral Square was filled in, leaving only the traditional name. The first fortified settlement, surrounded by earthworks, was established here as early as the eighth century and later became the residence of the dukes, who built their first castle within its walls. In the eleventh century, the bishops of Wroclaw made the island their permanent seat and constructed the cathedral. The dukes eventually moved to a new castle on the left bank, while from 1435 the entire island came under ecclesiastical control and developed into a kind of Wroclaw Vatican.
Between 1504 and 1810, the bishops enjoyed full autonomy on Cathedral Island, with laws independent of the city. Crossing Tumski Bridge effectively meant crossing a state border, and criminals could no longer be pursued by municipal authorities once on the island. Ostrów Tumski remains the seat of the archbishops of Wroclaw and offers a peaceful area for walks away from road traffic. In addition to its many historic monuments, it contains a beautifully maintained Botanical Garden.
Immediately after entering the island, the compact silhouette of the Church of St Peter and St Paul comes into view. Its foundations were laid in the eleventh century on the remains of a chapel, the only surviving element of the original ducal castle. The present church dates from the fifteenth century. Beside it is the former orphanage, built for impoverished young nobles. This Baroque building with northern Italian influences was constructed between 1702 and 1715.
Continue to the church square, where an elegant Baroque statue of St John of Nepomuk stands. The northern side is closed by the slender Church of the Holy Cross, one of Cathedral Island’s most important buildings after the cathedral. Founded by Duke Henry the Righteous at the end of the thirteenth century, it has an unusual cross-shaped plan and was the first two-level church in Silesia. The lower church is dedicated to St Bartholomew, while from 1812 the upper church served for more than a century as the spiritual centre of Wroclaw’s Polish community.
Continue along Cathedral Street towards Wroclaw Cathedral. Buildings on both sides belong to the archbishop’s curia. On the right, set slightly back at no. 14, stands the Bishop’s Palace, the seat of Wroclaw’s bishops since the thirteenth century. Following fires in the second half of the eighteenth century, it was rebuilt in the neoclassical style and today houses the Pontifical Faculty of Theology.
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