Residents of the area of Gorlice have known petroleum since time immemorial. This is proved by the ancient names of many nearby places and rivers still used today: Ropa, Ropica or Ropki (with the stem ropa, meaning “oil, petroleum”).
According to the legend, King Władysław I the Elbow-high already knew about the flammable properties of petroleum, because he ordered lanterns to be lit with “rock oil”...