The Church of the Heart of Jesus (Kościół Serca Jezusowego), built in the
13th century, is the oldest church in the old town. It was a Dominican
church until 1920, when it passed to the Jesuits. During the German
occupation in World War II, a repository was set up here for Polish books
removed from the libraries of Poznań.

The Old Market Square  (Stary Rynek) is the heart of the old
town. It is surrounded by town houses with colourful façades, among which
stands the Renaissance town hall. The ground floors of the buildings around
the square are filled mainly by banks, cafés and restaurants, and the
streets leading off the square contain elegant shops. From spring to autumn
the square bustles with life, and the outdoor cafés with their tables and
colourful sunshades are permanently busy. Local artists display their
paintings, while children play on the steps of the town hall. The square is
also a venue for cultural events.

Some of the houses in the Old Market Square were destroyed during the battles
for Poznań in 1945, and were rebuilt after World War II, but others escaped
serious damage. They include Mielżyński Palace, which dates from 1796–8, and
Działyński Palace , both in the Neo-Classical
style.

The palace was built in the late 18th century for Władysław Gurowski, Grand
Marshal of Lithuania. The elegant Neo-Classical façade is crowned with a
large eagle and set with figures of Roman soldiers made by Anton Höhne in
1785–7. It is worth going inside to see the columned Red Room upstairs. The
building is now used as a library, theatre, exhibition and concert hall.

Poznań’s town hall is one of the finest municipal buildings in Europe. It was
built in 1550–60 by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista di Quadro. The
façade has three tiers of arcades, topped by a grand attic and a large tower
and decorated with portraits of the kings of Poland.

The greatest tourist attraction is the clock tower, where at noon each day
two clockwork goats emerge from doors 12 times to butt heads.

The Great Hall, or Renaissance Hall, on the first floor was lavishly
decorated to reflect the affluence of the city’s municipal leaders. The
coffered ceiling is covered with an intricate series of paintings. Other
important collections can be seen in the Royal Hall and the Courtroom. The
centrepiece of the Old Market Square is the Baroque Proserpine
Fountain  of 1766, depicting the abduction of the ancient Roman
fertility goddess Proserpine by Pluto, ruler of the underworld. Nearby
stands a copy of a stone pillory  of 1535 and a
20th-century fountain with the figure of a Bamberka, a peasant woman from
the Poznań area. It
commemorates the Catholic settlers who were sent to Poznań at the beginning
of the 18th century from Bamberg, in southern Germany. Soon they became
Polonized, although many of the city’s inhabitants still claim to be
descendants of the Bamberg settlers.

Construction work on this Baroque church, which was originally built for use
as a Jesuit chapel, began in 1651 and continued for more than 50 years.
Several architects, craftsmen and artists had a role in this extended
project, among them Tomasso Poncino, Bartołomiej Wąsowski and Jan
Catenaci.

The most impressive aspect of the church is probably its monolithic interior.
Gigantic columns along the walls lead the eye towards the illuminated high
altar, which was designed and constructed in 1727 by Pompeo Ferrari.

The Baroque buildings of a former Jesuit monastery and college stand close to
the church. They were built for the brotherhood in 1701–33. Today, however,
they are used for secular business by the members of Poznań’s town
council.