About pancakes and the great fire
About Jadwiga who accidentally burned the city down
Can you be so unlucky enough to set the whole city on fire? According to the legends, Jadwiga did. History blames her for starting the great fire that occurred on the night of May 7-8, 1575.
It was the beginning of May 1575 and Lublin was teeming with life. The city was getting ready for a great holiday – the feast of St. Stanislaus. Anyone who had only a little bit of desire worked hard – they cleaned, stalls were set up, and the townswomen competed in the number of baked cakes, pancakes, and other goodies that were to be sold during the holiday.
Jadwiga, a townswoman, was frying ruddy and slightly crispy pancakes in her small kitchen near the Lublin parish church. They were said to be delicious, and the recipe was passed down from generation to generation. In the evening, all residents, tired of work, went to a well-deserved rest. Everyone, but not Jadwiga! She was still standing by the kitchen and cooking pancakes. She probably counted, like other townswomen, on praise for taste and high sales.
However, because of the exhaustion, Jadwiga fell asleep in the hot kitchen. She was awakened by the smell of burning and the fire spreading through the apartment. Jadwiga managed to escape, but the fire spread and consumed more houses. Seeing the enormity of the devastation, the inhabitants of the city tried to save what they could and fought the fire. Unfortunately, the fire was so great that it covered most of the town’s wooden buildings.
This night and the next day, which was supposed to be festive and full of fun, were some of the most tragic dates in the history of the city, but the inhabitants did not give up and day after day, from morning to evening, slowly and stubbornly lifted the city from ruin, working persistently. The city was rebuilt. The new tenement houses were made of brick, with colorful walls and beautiful decorations. Many of them can still be admired in Lublin’s Old Town. People say that it was then that a new architectural style entered Lublin – the Renaissance.
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