As for the size, the Old Town Market Square is ranked the third largest market square of Poland, after Cracow and Wroclaw. Its centrepiece is the Town Hall regarded as one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Poland. Its origins date back as far as the second half of the 13th century. Originally, it was a Gothic two-storey building. In the early 16th century a tall tower was added. Having suffered in the fire of 1536, the townhall needed renovation. In the middle of the 16th century Giovanni Batista Quadro, Italian architect, reconstructed it in the Renaissance style. The edifice was extended, one floor was added and the facade was decorated with a three-storey loggia. After the Swedish invasion and the economic slump, the building fell into decay. The general renovation of the Town Hall was needed. Between 1782 and 1784 the Good Order Committee supervised the works during which the tower was reconstructed and topped with a classicist cupola and an eagle as its part. At the beginning of the 20th century the Town Hall was raised by one more floor. However, it was heavily destroyed during World War II . A part of the tower was damaged, whereas the townhall interiors situated above the first floor were completely burnt. Thanks to the painstaking post-war reconstruction works, the Renaissance character of the building was restored. (Source: http://www.poznan-online.net/55,Old_Town _Market_Square_and_Its_.htm)