page_title: Biecz
section_title: 21st century
hierarchical_section_title: Biecz / History / 21st century
caption_attribution_description: Polski: miasto Biecz
context_page_description: Biecz is a town and municipality in southeastern Poland, in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Gorlice County. It is in the Carpathian Mountains, in the Doły Jasielsko-Sanockie, by the Ropa River. Due to its rich history, it is often referred to as "little Kraków" or the "pearl of the Carpathians." The many preserved medieval city walls and buildings have also given rise to the nickname "Polish Carcassonne" for both Biecz and the town of Szydłów.
  By the mid-16th century, the city was one of the largest in Poland. Being a royal city, Biecz enjoyed an economic and social Renaissance during the 14th and 15th centuries which tapered off into a gradual decline starting during the 17th century. Today, it is a small town with a number of historical monuments.
context_section_description: The 21st century has been marked by numerous restoration and preservation projects. In 2000, renovation work was completed on the 15th-century bell tower. The 14th-century Corpus Christi Church has been the scene of a number of important restoration projects, including the 2004 restoration of the altar of St. Teresa of Avilla, 2002 restoration of the main altar, and 2005 replacement of a number of important structural support beams.
  In March 2001, the Fundacja na Rzecz Szpitala Ubogich im. św. Jadwigi Królowej w Bieczu was established as part of a campaign to save the Gothic Hospital of the Holy Ghost. Renovation and preservation work had already begun by 2004.
  On 21 April 2005, the town government reinstated the tradition of playing the hejnał. Beginning June 2009 of that year, the hejnał was played from the bell tower of town hall.
  Biecz was one of the towns to host the seventh annual Małopolskie Dni Dziedzictwa Kulturowego (Lesser Poland cultural heritage day) from 20–21 May 2006. On 8 June 2006, relics of Queen Jadwiga of Poland, the patron saint of Biecz, were brought to the town for a dedicated exhibition. The relics were processed along a number of city and country roads that the Queen probably walked. 
  On 1 July 2007, Biecz celebrated the 750-year anniversary of the city's establishment under Magdeburg law. The festival was marked by dance performances, musical exhibitions, theater, and lectures by historical experts.
  On 16 October 2008, the Biecz beltway was officially opened.
caption: The Church of Corpus Christi, built in 1326, has undergone numerous restoration and preservation projects in the early years of the 21st century.
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