Duchowni jako patroni ulic Krakowa i Bolonii

The aim of this article is the analysis of the role performed by the clerics as patrons of the Cracovian and Bolognian streets. Street names commemorating priests, monks and nuns constitute the collection of commemorative anthroponyms - the nomenclature class which underwent rapid development in the 20th century. Clergymen who are street patrons belong to a group of single-person patrons who were historical characters. Choosing them for patrons of the traffic routes does not stem entirely from their contributions connected with the ministry. In certain cases, the fact of being a clergyman is an additional trait characterizing the commemorated persons for their achievements in some different fields. Taking the above into account, the clerics who are patrons of the Cracovian and Bolognian streets, have been divided into three subgroups: 1) clerics who were priests, friars and nuns of great merit; 2) saints who used to clerics while alive; 3) clerics commemorated as outstanding representatives of various fields of study and social life. The analysis of the collected data demonstrates a slight domination of the clergy patrons category in the Cracovian urban nomenclature as these anthroponyms represent 8.9% of individual street patrons. In Bologne, on the other hand, the percentage share of this class does not exceed 5.4%. The internal structure of this category is fairly varied. Both cities display representatives of various levels of the church hierarchy: popes, bishops, parsons of the district parishes, etc. The group of clergymen commemorated for their other contributions shows a similar internal heterogeneousness. It includes merited humanists, politics and artists. On the basis of the data collected, a statement can be made that clerical patrons perform a similar role in both cities and they hold similar values which Poland and Italy share as countries belonging to the same civilization circle.