Dębica

Dębica grew on the road between Kraków and Lwów, near the edge of the great Sandomierz Forest. Recorded in 1293 as a possession of the noble Gryfita family, the settlement gained permission for a town and weekly market from Casimir the Great in 1358. Its formal foundation followed in 1372. An annual fair authorised in 1446 encouraged growth, but Dębica long remained smaller than older neighbours such as Pilzno and Ropczyce. Without walls, it was vulnerable to the raids and wars that repeatedly damaged the region.