Founder of the first Polish post office, who died in 1584. He came from an Italian noble family, and he came to Krakow from Piedmont at the instigation of his brother, secretary of Queen Bona. In 1558, King Zygmunt August commissioned him to organize a permanent connection between Krakow and Venice. The Royal ordinance issued on the 15th October 1558, said that “for our and our subjects’ comfort … we arrange constant communication, that is, we establish the so-called post office, that is, the Krakow-Venice spaced horses …”
The first post office started in Kraków, probably from the house no 14 at Floriańska Street, which was owned by Prosper. Today there is located Hotel pod Różą. There are rumors and a plaque hangs on the building on the Main Square no 7 saying that the first letter was sent from there.
In 1580, in the house of Prospero Provano, took place a famous dispute between the Arians, Calvinists and Catholics. What is more, Piotr Skarga was a part of it. In 1583, the papal nuncio Alberto Bolognetti reported to Rome that “there were various lectures in this house, on various matters, and possibly also on theological matters”. It is known that the famous Arian Faust Socyn lived with Prospero for some time. In 1562, King Zygmunt August handed over the management of the post to Krzysztof Taxis, the chief postmaster of the Imperial court post office in Tyrol, but Prosper was well rewarded for his services. The prizes were: the title of the starost of Będzin and the administration of the salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia.
An interesting fact is that in the Dominican church there is a mausoleum tombstone of the first director of the Polish post office.
