Pilzno is a town in Poland, in Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in Dębica County. It has 4,943 inhabitants as of 2018. It is located at the junction of important roads – West-East European E40 Highway, and National Road 73 (Droga Krajowa nr. 73, DK 73) to Jasło, but at the same time, it has no railroad station, even though in 1939 Polish government began construction of the Dębica – Jasło line, via Pilzno. The project was never completed. History Granted Magdeburg rights in 1354 by King Kazimierz Wielki, Pilzno has a rich history. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth it was the capital of a powiat, located in the Sandomierz Voivodeship. Most important historical building is St. John's church, with the famous Shrine and Painting of Our Lady of Consolation, founded around 1256. It is located near the medieval market square. In the early days of Polish statehood, the area of Pilzno probably belonged to the Vistulans. The name of the town for the first time appears in 1105, in a document issued by Papal legate Gilles, who confirmed that Benedictine monks from Tyniec owned numerous villages and settlements along the Wisłoka river, including Pilzno. In 1328, Benedictine abbot Michał from Tyniec named first sołtys of Pilzno. In 1354, the village became a royal possession, and King Kazimierz Wielki granted it Magdeburg rights. At that time, Pilzno was conveniently located at the intersection of two busy merchant routes: west–east (from Kraków to Red Ruthenia), and north–south (from Sandomierz to the Kingdom of Hungary). The town belonged to the Duchy of Sandomierz, which later became Sandomierz Voivodeship. It was the capital of Pilzno County, which included Tarnów, Dębica, Ropczyce, Mielec, and Sędziszów Małopolski. It is not known when the painting of Our Lady of Consolation was brought to Pilzno. It was already in the town in 1241, when Lesser Poland was invaded by the Mongols. The town was attacked by Asiatic hordes again in 1287, and the painting became famous. King Władysław Łokietek visited Pilzno’s parish church and prayed before the painting, and in 1340, knights of King Kazimierz Wielki, on their way to Red Ruthenia, stopped here as well. In 1386, the royal couple – King Władysław Jagiełło and his wife, Queen Jadwiga of Poland prayed here as well. In the Battle of Grunwald, the flag of knights of Sandomierz Land included, among others, a copy of the painting. In the late Middle Ages,