The Grey House - Kamienica Szara is the oldest burgher's house in the town, built in the 13th & 14th centuries. It contains Gothic vaults and Renaissance ceilings. The western facade was reshaped in the 17th century.
The massive Baroque doorway was created by sculptors of the Castelli family. Residents include Poland's first elected king, Henri de Valois (in 1574), and Tadeusz Kosciuszko who had his quarters here. It was also the seat of the short-lived provisional government during the Krakow Uprising of 1846.
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The Grey House today is a place where professionalism, modernity and outstanding tradition combine in exceptional fashion. The spirit of the building is complemented by a creative vein, and its great history is at arm's reach.The building was purchased in the early 90s by private persons who turned out to be the building's saviours. The new owners quickly decided to pass on the whole property to the Grey House Foundation, created to save the building. This was a splendid decision, though it might seem surprising in an era of the pursuit of quick profit. Fifteen years of hard work have made today's Grey House a prime example of monument revalourisation. It also demonstrates renovation work even finer than that carried out one hundred years previous by the Szarskis. Once again 'against the current', and without state grants and funding, struggling with bureaucracy, which always has plenty to say, even when they are incapable of acting on their own. The foundation had to fund everything out of its own pocket. The original technical state of the building was pitiful. Bogdan Axmann president of the Grey House Foundation, had a Herculean task in front of him. Cleaning the Aegean stables would have been simpler, given that the stables did not have monument status. With a heritage structure, every tiny attempt at reconstruction is an uphill battle.

The Grey House is thus unique - it has historical ambience, and is full of state-of-the-art technology inside. And yet this is a distinguished old-timer, over 700 years old! It looks remarkably good for its age - filled with people, pulsing with life from the depths of the cellars to the rooftop. The discreetly installed modern water pipes, plumbing, electricity, and - for the first time in its long history - air-conditioning (where it proved possible) have given this, one of Krakow's oldest and most beautiful buildings, an entirely new heart. This heart beats not only in time to the rhythm of daily life - well-functioning offices, guest rooms and restaurants. It also has its own, timeless rhythm - every once in a while you can admire the performances and exhibitions of local Krakow artists.
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