A few blocks from our apartment is where the patron saint of Poland, St. Stanislaus, was hacked to pieces by King Bolesław II the Bold in 1079. Reminiscent of the Henry II/Thomas Becket rift in England, Bishop Stanislaus and the King were constantly butting heads. At one point, St. Stanislaus brought a court witness back from the dead to prove that the church, not the King, had title to a piece of land. Stanislaus excommunicated Bolesław, and the enraged King killed the Bishop with his own sword. It turned out not to be a popular move–Bolesław was dethroned and ran off to Hungary, and ever since a yearly procession has marched from the royal castle at Wawel to the Skałka church as a belated way of saying, ‘my bad’.
The fountain seen here is in front of the pool where Stanislaus’ body, hacked to pieces, was thrown into the water. The body miraculously reassembled itself while being guarded by four eagles. That must have given Bolesław immediate feedback on his actions.
You never know what impact events in the 11th century will have. Northern California’s Stanislaus County and River are named after Estanislao, a Yokut Indian chief who led a rebellion against Spanish and Mexican soldiers in 1829.
