Wawel is an
outcropAn outcrop is an exposure of bedrock or superficial deposits at the surface of the Earth.Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface. In most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be seen or examined closely...
on the left bank of the Vistula River in
KrakówKraków , in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow and pronounced
, is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland and a popular tourist destination. Its historic centre was inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites as the first of its kind...
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, at an altitude of 228 metres above the sea level. This is a place of great significance for the
Polish peopleThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
. The
Royal CastleThe Gothic Wawel Castle in Kracow in Poland was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great and consists of a number of structures situated around the central courtyard. In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland. Their reign saw the addition of the tower called the Hen’s...
with an armoury and the Cathedral are situated on the hill. Polish Royalty and many distinguished Poles are interred in the
Wawel CathedralWawel Cathedral is a church located on Wawel Hill in Kraków, which is Poland's national sanctuary. It has a 1,000-year history and was the traditional coronation site of Polish monarchs. It is the cathedral of the archdiocese of Kraków...
.
Royal coronationsThe officially celebrated Royal coronations in Poland begun in 1025; and continued till 1764, when the last King of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was crowned at St. John's Cathedral in Warsaw. Most coronations took place at the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, but also in Poznań and at Gniezno...
took place there also.
Wawel began to play the role of a centre of political power at the end of the first millennium A.D. In the 9th century it became the principal fortified castrum of the
VistulansVistulans were a Lechitic tribe inhabiting, since at least the seventh century, lands known today as Lesser Poland .From the 1st century and possibly earlier, the Vistulans , were part of the Carpian Tribe, which got its name from the area that they lived in, which was beside the Carpathian...
tribe . The first historical ruler
Mieszko I of PolandMieszko I , was a Duke of the Polans from about 960 until his death. Member of the Piast dynasty, he was son of the legendary Siemomysł, grandchild of Lestek and father of Bolesław I the Brave, the first crowned King of Poland, and Świętosława , a Nordic Queen.The first historical ruler of Poland,...
(c.965-992) of the
Piast dynastyThe Piast dynasty was the first Polish historical Royal dynasty that ruled Poland from its beginnings starting with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historically undisputed Piast ruler is Mieszko I from 10th century...
as well as his successors:
Boleslaw I the BraveBolesław I the Brave or the Valiant , in the past also known as Bolesław I the Great , was a Duke of Poland from 992-1025 and the first King of Poland since 19 April 1025 until his death...
and
Mieszko IIThis article is about a Polish king. See also Duke Mieszko II the Fat.Mieszko II Lambert , was King of Poland during 1025-1031, and Duke from 1032 until his death....
(1025-1034) chose Wawel as one of their residences. At that time Wawel became one of the Polish main centres of
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
. The first early
RomanesqueRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe, characterised by semi-circular arches, and evolving into the Gothic style, characterised by pointed arches, beginning in the 12th century...
buildings were erected there including a stone cathedral serving the
bishopricIn some forms of Christianity, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a bishop. It is also referred to as a bishopric or Episcopal Area or episcopal see, though strictly the term episcopal see refers to the domain of ecclesiastical authority officially held by the bishop,...
of Kraków in the year 1000. Since the reign of
Casimir the RestorerCasimir I the Restorer , was a Duke of Poland of the Piast dynasty and the de facto monarch of the entire country since 1034 until his death....
(1034-1058) Wawel became the leading political and administrative centre for the Polish State.
Wawel Hill
There are archaeological remains indicating settlement from the 4th century.
Wawel hill has the form of a
horstIn physical geography and geology, a horst is the raised fault block bounded by normal faults or graben. A horst is formed from extension of the Earth's crust...
that originated in the
MioceneThe Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23.03 to 5.33 million years before the present . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the...
epoch (23-5 million years ago), made up of
JurassicThe Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma to Ma, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the "Age of Reptiles". The start of the period is marked by...
limestone dating back to the Oxfordian age (161-155 million years ago). The
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the mineral calcite . The deposition of limestone strata is often a by-product and indicator of biological activity in the geologic record...
is strongly
karstKilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after a Yugoslavian geologist Karst. It will consist of about 30 individual...
ed and abounds in caves (e.g. the Dragon’s Den -
Smocza JamaSmocza Jama is a limestone cave in the Wawel Hill in Kraków. Owing to its location in the heart of the former Polish capital and its connection to the legendary Wawel Dragon, it is the best known cave in Poland.- Morphology :...
). This could explain why the hill was originally called "wąwel", meaning
ravineA ravine is a very small valley—almost like a canyon but narrower—which is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order...
in Polish. Once the ravine divided the hill in two. According to another theory this word means ‘protrusion from the marshes’ which surrounded the hill.
The hill is the site of a group of historic buildings, including
Wawel CastleThe Gothic Wawel Castle in Kracow in Poland was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great and consists of a number of structures situated around the central courtyard. In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland. Their reign saw the addition of the tower called the Hen’s...
and the
Wawel CathedralWawel Cathedral is a church located on Wawel Hill in Kraków, which is Poland's national sanctuary. It has a 1,000-year history and was the traditional coronation site of Polish monarchs. It is the cathedral of the archdiocese of Kraków...
(the Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanisław and St. Wacław). The complex also comprises the Wawel Hill Fortifications. The remains of other buildings, dating back to different historical periods, have also been found on the site.
The history of medieval Wawel is deeply intertwined with the history
of the Polish lands and Polish royal dynasties during the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
.
The political and dynastic tensions that led to the final ascendence of Kraków as the royal seat are complex, but for most of the Middle Ages and the
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
, Wawel was the seat of the national government. As the
Polish-Lithuanian CommonwealthThe Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was formed by the union of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569. The new Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th-century Europe....
formed and grew, Wawel became the seat of one of Europe's most important
states. This status was only lost when the capital was moved to
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
in the 17th century. When Poland lost its political independence during the period of the
partitionsThe Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The partitions were carried out by Prussia, Russia and Habsburg Austria dividing up the Commonwealth lands...
, Wawel became a symbol of the lost nation; demonstrations
and meetings combined contemporary political action with a claim for
the significance of the once-powerful state, taking on nationalist overtones.
The significance of the Wawel hill comes in part from its combination of political and religious structures and functions. The cathedral holds the relics of
St. StanisławSaint Stanisław Szczepanowski or Saint Stanislaus of Szczepanów was a Bishop of Kraków known chiefly for having been martyred by Polish King Bolesław II the Bold...
and stands directly adjacent to the Royal Castle. The hill has long had a religious function; some of the oldest extant architectural remains are those of the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary, which may be visited today in a tour that takes visitors into the walls and foundations of the present-day buildings.
The history of Wawel is long and complex. Throughout the centuries Wawel has undergone many changes that are presented below.
Beginnings – up to the mid-11th-century
Archeological studies point to the earliest settlement dating back to the Middle
PaleolithicThe Paleolithic or Palaeolithic Age, Era, or Period, or Old Stone Age, is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of the first stone tools, and covers roughly 99% of human technological history...
era, circa 100 thousand years B.C. It owed its rapid development to its location at the crossing of a number of key trading routes. Wawel is believed to be one of the strongholds of the Vistulan tribe which formed a nation at the turn of the 8th and 9th century. Its legendary rulers
KrakusKrakus or Krak or Grakch is the name given to a legendary Polish prince and founder of Kraków, the ruler of the tribe of Lechitians . Krakus is also credited with building Wawel Castle. The first recorded mention of Krakus , then spelled Grakch, is in the Chronica seu originale regum et principum...
and
Princess WandaPrincess Wanda was the legendary daughter of King Krak, legendary founder of Kraków. Upon her father's death, she became queen of the Poles, but committed suicide to avoid an unwanted marriage.-The legend:...
, who are said to have lived in the 7th and 8th centuries, are mentioned by the 13th century chronicler Wincenty Kadłubek. In the 10th century the Vistulans’ lands and Kraków became a part of the emerging state of
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
In 1000 the Kraków diocese was established followed by the construction of a
CathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
– the residence of the bishop. However, as a result of an ongoing conflict with the
Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period under a Holy Roman Emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Otto I, crowned in 962. The last was Francis II, who abdicated and dissolved the Empire in 1806 during...
, construction did not begin until the signing of the
Peace of BautzenThe Peace of Bautzen was a peace treaty signed by Emperor Henry II and Great Duke Bolesław I the Brave of Poland on 30 January 1018. The peace, achieved at the Ortenburg castle in Bautzen, ended 15 years of warfare between the two rulers, as well as ending negotiations Henry had begun in 1003 with...
, in 1018. Only minor fragments remain of the original cathedral (which is sometimes called ‘chrobrowska’ after Bolesław I the Brave) and despite extensive archeological work it has proved impossible to reconstruct its exterior. Until the 1980 relicts of St. Gereon’s Church were identified with the first cathedral but this theory, advanced by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz, has been disproved by recent research. There are also inconsistencies in the dating of the destruction of the original cathedral. Some sources place this at the time of the invasion of
Bretislaus I of BohemiaBretislaus I , known as The Bohemian Achilles, of the house of the Přemyslids, was the duke of Bohemia from 1035 till death.Bretislaus was a son of duke Oldrich and his would-be wife Božena...
in the 1040s or during a fire in the 1080s.
As well as the cathedral, the hill was also the site of other buildings. The earliest evidence of wooden structures dates back to the ninth century, with the earliest stone buildings dating back to the tenth and eleventh century. From this period originated the remains of such buildings as:
- The Rotunda of the Blessed Virgin Mary – probably from the turn of the tenth and eleventh century
- Church B – the earliest parts originate from the tenth century
- Church of St. Gereon – probably the palace chapel
- Church of St. George – subsequently rebuilt
- Church of St. Michael
- 24 pillar Room – possibly the ducal mansion
- Quadrangle construction from the turn of the tenth and eleventh century of unknown use; possibly ducal granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food from mice and other animals....
or tomb
- Keep
A keep is a strong central tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress. Often, the keep is the most defended area of a castle, and as such may form the main habitation area, or contain important stores such as the armoury, food, and the main water well, which would ensure survival during a...
– protective and residential tower
Romanesque (11th – 12th century)
At some time between 1038 – 1039 Casimir I the Restorer returned to Poland and it is supposed that Kraków became the royal residence and the capital of Poland at this time.
At the end of the 11th century construction work began on the second cathedral, called ‘Hermanowska’, it is probable that Władysław I Herman was its benefactor. The cathedral was consecrated in 1142. Much more is known about this cathedral because its image is preserved on a chapterhouse seal from the 13th century and its remains are better preserved – the lower part of the Silver Bell Tower and entire trinaval
St. Leonard's CryptSt. Leonard's Crypt under the Wawel Castle in Kraków, Poland, is a Romanesque crypt founded in the 11th century by Casimir I the Restorer who made Kraków his royal residence as the capital....
supported by eight columns. In 1118 bishop Maurus was buried there. The
patenA paten, or diskos, is a small plate, usually made of silver or gold, used to hold Eucharistic bread which is to be consecrated. It is generally used during the service itself, while the reserved hosts are stored in the Tabernacle in a ciborium....
and the chalice were eaten from the tomb. This period also gave rise to:
- The Rotunda by the Bastion of Ladislaus IV of Hungary from the 12th century; it could have been a baptistery
In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The baptistery may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral and be provided with an altar as a chapel...
- Church near the Dragon’s Den
- Rotunda by the Sandomierska Tower – probably from the second half of the 11th century
Gothic (13th – 14th century)
In 1305 or 1306 the cathedral was only partially destroyed by a fire, which made possible the coronation of Władysław I the Elbow-high in 1320. In the same year construction of a third cathedral began at the King’s behest, the key elements of which are preserved today. It was consecrated in 1364. It is trinaval in construction, with the
transeptFull descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.
For the periodical go to The Transept....
and the ambit, with chapels added in later centuries. The first ones were built at chancel – in 1322 St. Margarita’s chapel was consecrated (today it acts as a sacristy) and few years saw the completion of a chapel later called the
BáthoryThe Báthory were a Hungarian noble family of the Gutkeled clan. The family rose to significant influence in Central Europe during the late Middle Ages, holding high military, administrative and ecclesiastical positions in the Kingdom of Hungary...
Chapel.
The west entrance is the site of a chapel which takes its name from its benefactress
Sophia of HalshanySophia of Halshany , was a Lithuanian princess of Halshany, Queen of Poland from , and the last wife of Jogaila.-Biography:...
(last wife of
JogailaJogaila, later ' , was Grand Duke of Lithuania and later King of Poland. He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle, Kęstutis. In 1386, he converted to Christianity, was baptized as Władysław, married the young Queen Jadwiga of Poland, inducted into the Order of the Dragon and was...
) and, the Świetokrzyska Chapel, established by
Casimir IV JagiellonCasimir IV Jagiellon of the Jagiellon dynasty, was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death....
. Other chapels were also built (at the end of the 15th century there were nineteen of them) which were later considerably rebuilt.
Władysław I the Elbow-high was the first king buried in the Wawel Cathedral. His
sandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any color, but the most common colors are tan, brown, yellow,...
sarcophagusA sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos the word came to refer...
was founded in the half of the 14th century by Casimir III the Great.
The cathedral also contains the tombs of Casimir III the Great and Jogaila but the most valuable one is that of Casimir IV Jagiellon, carved by
Veit StossVeit Stoss was a German sculptor of the late Gothic school.According to Catholic Encyclopedia, Veit Stoss was one of the first artists from Northern Europe who could be compared with Italian Renaissance artists...
in 1492. The late-Gothic tombstone of John I Albert was carved at the beginning of the 16th century and is attributed to Jorg Huber.
A gothic castle was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great and consisted of a number of structures situated around a central courtyard. In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and
Jadwiga of PolandJadwiga was a monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elisabeth...
. Their reign saw the addition of the tower so-called the Hen’s Foot and the Danish Tower. The Jadwiga and Jogaila Chamber, in which ‘
SzczerbiecSzczerbiec is a sword that was traditionally used in the coronation ceremony of Polish kings. It is the only preserved part of the Polish Crown Jewels....
’ is exhibited today, is another remnant of this period.
Other structures were developed on the hill during this period to serve as quarters for the numerous clergy, royal clerks and craftsmen, as well as defensive walls and towers such as ‘Jordanka,’ ‘Lubranka,’ ‘Sandomierska,’ ‘Tęczyńska,’ ‘Szlachecka,’ ‘Złodziejska’ and ‘Panieńska.’
Renaissance (16th century)
The ruling of the last Jagiellon was a time of splendour for Wawel. In that time, (between 1507 – 1536) the Royal Seat was thoroughly rebuilt.
Sigismund I the OldSigismund I the Old of the Jagiellon dynasty reigned as King of Poland and also as the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until 1548...
sponsored that enormous undertaking. The works were supervised by two Italians: Francisco from Florence and
Bartolommeo BerrecciBartolommeo Berrecci was a Florentine renaissance architect, who spent most of his career in Poland.He learned architecture in Florence, probably taught by Andrea Ferrucci...
. After their death,
Benedykt from SandomierzBenedykt from Sandomierz Polish renaissance architect, who together with Bartolommeo Berrecci rebuilt the Wawel Royal Castle in Kraków under the rule of Sigismund I of Poland after it burnt down in 1499....
continued their work. From light arcade galleries of the courtyard, supported by slender columns, one enters spacious and sunlit chambers. The inside of the castle, including the splendid Deputy Hall with its coffering ceiling, gives evidence of the great skills of both Italian and Polish craftsmen. Palace chambers were decorated with
tapestriesTapestry is a form of textile art, woven on a vertical loom. It is composed of two sets of interlaced threads, those running parallel to the length and those parallel to the width ; the warp threads are set up under tension on a loom, and the weft thread is passed back and forth across part or...
which Sigismund August purchased in large quantities.
In the beginning of the 16th century, the tombstone of John Olbracht was placed in the niche sculptured by Francesco Fiorentino. That is the first renaissance work of art in Poland. In 1517 the construction of the
Sigismund's Chapel"Sigismund's Chapel" of the Wawel Cathedral is one of the most notable pieces of architecture in Kraków. Built as a funerary chapel for the last Jagiellons, it has been hailed by many art historians as "the most beautiful example of the Tuscan Renaissance north of the Alps"...
started which acted as the
mausoleumA mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of the last Jagiellon. sixteen years later the construction was completed.
From that period, other tombstones remained, such as those of Cardinal Frederic Jagiellon and of bishops
Piotr GamratPiotr Gamrat of Sulima arms was Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland.Piotr was bishop of Kamieniec since 1531, of Przemyśl since 1535, of Kraków since 1538 and simultaneously Archbishop of Gniezno since 1541....
, Piotr Tomicki, Jan Konarski, Jan Chojenski and Samuel Maciejowski.
In 1520 Sigismund Bell was cast.
In the Cathedral, one may find
manneristicMannerism is a period of European art that emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. It lasted until about 1580 in Italy, when a more Baroque style began to replace it, but Northern Mannerism continued into the early 17th century throughout much of Europe...
works of art: the tombstones of
Stephen BáthoryStephen Báthory can refer to several noblemen of Hungarian descent:* Stephen III Báthory , Palatine of Hungary* Stephen V Báthory , judge of the Royal Court and Prince of Transylvania...
and bishop Fillip Padniewski – both designed by
Santi GucciSanti Gucci was a Polish-Italian architect and sculptor.He moved to Poland after 1550, most probably from Florence, and became the court artist of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland, his queen consort Anna Jagiellonka and his successor Stefan Batory of Poland...
, and also the tombstone of bishop Andrzej Zebrzydowski designed by Jan Michalowicz from Urzedow.
Baroque (17th – 18th century)
After the fire in 1595, times when the northeast part of the castle burned down, king
Sigismund III VasaSigismund III Vasa was King of Polish Crown and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of joined Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
decided to rebuild it under the direction of the architect Giovanni Trevano.
Basically, the Senator Stairs and the fireplace in the Bird Room remain till this day.
When in 1609 king Sigismund the III moved permanently to
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains. Its population as of 2009 was estimated at 1,709,781, and the Warsaw metropolitan area at approximately 2,785,000...
, tough times for Wawel began. Both the castle and other buildings fell into ruin, despite the concern of governors. Also the Swedish, who stayed in Wawel between 1655 – 1657 and in 1702, contributed to the deteriorating condition of the castle.
In addition, the hill was occupied by the Prussian Army in 1794, when Royal Insignia were stolen (apart from the
SzczerbiecSzczerbiec is a sword that was traditionally used in the coronation ceremony of Polish kings. It is the only preserved part of the Polish Crown Jewels....
), and never retrieved.
In the 17th century, Wawel, as an important defensive point, was modernised with defensive walls.
Later, the transfer of the capital to Warsaw did not change the role and importance of the Wawel Cathedral, which was still the place of coronations and royal funerals.
On that time, many changes were introduced in the Cathedral – the main altar was rebuilt, the
cloisterthumb|250px|right|Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in [[Arles]], [[France]]thumb|250px|right|Cloister of [[Abbaye de Fontenay]], in [[Marmagne]], [[France]]...
was elevated and the Confession of St. Stanislaw (a marble altar and a silver coffin) was built.
Baroque tombstones were also erected, among others were the ones of bishops: Marcin Szyszkowski,
Piotr GembickiPiotr Gembicki , Deputy Crown Chancellor and Bishop of Przemyśl from 1635, Great Crown Chancellor from 1638, Bishop of Kraków from 1642 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.- Biography :...
, Jan Malachowski, Kazimierz Lubienski and kings: Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and
John III SobieskiJohn III Sobieski was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, from 1674 until his death King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Sobieski's 22-year-reign was marked by a period of the Commonwealth's stabilisation, much needed after the turmoil of the Deluge and...
) and chapels (Waza Chapel).
19th century
After the
Third Partition of PolandThe Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The partitions were carried out by Prussia, Russia and Habsburg Austria dividing up the Commonwealth lands...
(1795), Wawel was under Austrian rule. Austrian soldiers converted the hill into barracks; in the process much destruction took place and rebuilding was issued: the cloisters were walled up, the interior of the castle was changed, parts of the buildings were pulled down (e.g. churches of St. Michael and St. George). When the
Kraków UprisingThe Kraków Uprising of February 1846 was an attempt, led by Edward Dembowski, to incite a Polish fight for national independence. Even though most of Poland was part of the Russian Empire, the Polish risings were conducted mainly in Prussia and in the Austrian Empire.-History:Most of the...
failed and the Republic of Kraków was terminated, three enormous buildings housing a military hospital were built on the Wawel Hill. In the second part of the 19th century the Austrians rebuilt the defense walls making them a part of Kraków Stronghold (two new
caponierA Caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A Caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
s were made). At the same time, the Poles tried to retake the hill.
In 1815 ceremonial funeral of Józef Poniatowski took place in the Wawel Cathedral. Since that event national heroes are also put to rest there (formerly only bodies of monarchs rested in the cathedral). In 1818 the body of
Tadeusz KościuszkoAndrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian military leader. He is a national hero in Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and the United States...
was brought there and placed in St. Leonard's Crypt.
The Potocki Chapel was reconstructed in a
classicistic styleClassicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
. The statue of Artur Potocki, by the famous sculptor
Bertel Thorvaldsen Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish/Icelandic sculptor.-Biography:Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen in 1770 , the son of an Icelander who had settled in Denmark and there carried on the trade of a wood-carver. This account is disputed by some Icelanders, who claim Thorvaldsen was born in Iceland...
, was placed within the chapel. Another sculpture by the same artist was put in Queen Sophia's Chapel.
In 1869, due to the accidental opening of the coffin of king Casimir III the Great, a second funeral was performed. Consequently, an initiative was taken to renovate other monarchs’ tombs in the Wawel Cathedral. The underground crypts were connected with tunnels, sarcophagi were cleaned and refurbished, new ones were funded - the emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria paid for a
sarcophagusA sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos the word came to refer...
for king Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki whose wife was from the House of Habsburg.
20th century
In 1905 the emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria gave an order for Austrian troops to leave Wawel. Restoration works began, managed by Zygmund Hendel Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz, who discovered the Rotunda of Virgin Mary as well as other relics of the past. The renovation of the Wawel Hill was by public subscription. The names of the people who gave money were inscribed on the bricks used to raise the wall near the northern gateway to the castle. Coat of Arms Gate was built there and the statue of
Tadeusz KościuszkoAndrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian military leader. He is a national hero in Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and the United States...
was placed there, too.
In the years 1904-1907 Stanisław Wyspiański and the architect Władysław Ekielski designed a plan of development for the Wawel Hill called Akropolis. This project, which was never accomplished, aimed at building on the hill: the Polish Houses of Parliament, the National Museum, Skills Academy and Bishop Curia. The overall design was supposed to be based on the ancient architectural style. The authors planned to build a Greek-style theatre and
NikeIn Greek mythology, Nike , was a goddess who personified triumph throughout the ages of the ancient Greek culture. She is known as the Winged Goddess of Victory. The Roman equivalent was Victoria...
statue.
In the 20th century the Wawel Cathedral gained two new tombstones: queen's
Jadwiga of PolandJadwiga was a monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elisabeth...
(1902) and symbolical one of Władysław Warneńczyk (1906); both were designed by Antoni Madeyski. In the years 1902-1904 Włodzimierz Tetmajer decorated the walls of Queen Sophia’s Chapel with paintings depicting Polish saints and national heroes.
Józef MehofferJózef Mehoffer was a Polish painter and decorative artist, one of the leading artists of the Young Poland movement and one of the most revered Polish artists of his time.-Life:...
was the author of beautiful murals in the vault of the Wawel Cathedral, stained-glass windows in the St. Cross Chapel, paintings and a stained-glass window in the Szafrańcy Chapel. He also made stained-glass windows in the
transeptFull descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.
For the periodical go to The Transept....
of the Wawel Cathedral which depict the suffering Christ and Virgin Mary.
During Poland’s twenty years of independence after World War I, Polish authorities decided that the Wawel Castle was to be a representative building of the Polish Republic and would be used by the State Governor and later by the President himself. In 1921 the Polish Parliament passed a resolution which gave Wawel official status of the residence of the President of Poland (the luxurious suite of the president Ignacy Mościcki can be seen). No legal acts issued by the independent Polish authorities nullified that resolution (apart from the decision of the Stalinist
State National CouncilKrajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish was a parliament-like political body formed in the late stages of the Second World War in the Soviet Union, as part of the formation of a new Communist Polish government...
(KRN) to change the Wawel Castle into a museum).
In 1921 a statue of
Tadeusz KościuszkoAndrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian military leader. He is a national hero in Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and the United States...
sculpted by
Leandro MarconiLeandro Marconi was a Polish architect, active mainly in Warsaw. His father was Enrico Marconi, also a famed architect associated with that city, while his cousin was Leonard Marconi, a sculptor....
and Antoni Popiel was placed on the rampart of king Władysław IV Vasa.
In 1927 the ashes of Juliusz Słowacki were brought to the Wawel Cathedral. The bodies of Józef Piłsudski and Władysław Sikorski were placed to rest in the crypts.
In the times of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Wawel Castle was the residence of governor general
Hans FrankHans Michael Frank was a German lawyer who worked for the Nazi party during the 1920s and 1930s and later became a high-ranking official in Nazi Germany. He was prosecuted during the Nuremberg trials for his role in perpetrating the Holocaust during his tenure as Governor-General of occupied Poland...
. During that time many precious monuments were taken away and to this day have not returned to Poland.
Wawel Cathedral
The
Wawel Cathedral is Poland's national sanctuary. It was the coronation site of nearly all Polish monarchs.
The
Sigismund's Chapel"Sigismund's Chapel" of the Wawel Cathedral is one of the most notable pieces of architecture in Kraków. Built as a funerary chapel for the last Jagiellons, it has been hailed by many art historians as "the most beautiful example of the Tuscan Renaissance north of the Alps"...
(
Kaplica Zygmuntowska) is one of the most notable examples of architecture in Kraków. Built as a tomb chapel of the last Jagiellons, it was hailed by many historians of art as
the most beautiful example of ToscanTuscany is a region in North-Central Italy. It has an area of and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence.Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy...
renaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
north of the Alps. Financed by king Sigismund I of Poland, the chapel was built between 1519 and 1533 by Bartolomeo Berrecci. A square-based chapel with a golden dome houses the tombs of its founder king Sigismund, as well as king Sigismund Augustus of Poland and Anna Jagiellonka. The design of the internal sculptures, stuccoes and paintings was carried out by some of the most renowned artists of the era, including
Santi GucciSanti Gucci was a Polish-Italian architect and sculptor.He moved to Poland after 1550, most probably from Florence, and became the court artist of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland, his queen consort Anna Jagiellonka and his successor Stefan Batory of Poland...
, Hermann Vischer, and the architect himself,
Georg PenczGeorg Pencz was a German engraver, painter and printmaker.Pencz travelled to Nuremberg in 1523 and joined Albrecht Dürer’s atelier. Like Dürer, he visited Italy and was profoundly influenced by Venetian art and it is believed he worked with Marcantonio Raimondi...
.
Wawel Castle
The
Wawel Castle (
Zamek wawelski) served as a royal residence and the site where the country's rulers governed
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
for five centuries from 1038 until 1596.
The Wawel Dragon
Smok WawelskiThe Wawel Dragon , also known as the Dragon of Wawel Hill, is a famous dragon in Polish folklore. He laired in a cave under Wawel Hill on the banks of the Vistula river. Wawel Hill is in Kraków, Poland, which was the capital at the time...
, also known as
The Dragon of Wawel Hill or simply
The Wawel Dragon, is a famous
dragonDragons are legendary creatures, typically with serpentine or otherwise reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of worldwide cultures.The two most familiar interpretations of dragons are European dragons, derived from various European folk traditions, and the unrelated Oriental dragons, such as...
in
Polish folklorePolish mythology comprises beliefs and myths of ancient Poland, including witchcraft and elements of Paganism.An early Polish settlement featuring an allocated place of pagan worship, which is located near the ancient complex of Poganowo not far from the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea, was...
. He laired in a cave under the
Wawel HillWawel Hill is the name of a Jurassic limestone outcrop formed about 150 million years ago. It is situated on the left bank of the Vistula River in Kraków, Poland, at an altitude of 228 metres above the sea level. Over the millennia, the hill provided a safe haven for people who settled there since...
on the banks of the
VistulaThe Vistula , is the longest and one of the most important rivers in Poland at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is 194,424 km² , of which 168,699 km² The Vistula , is the longest and one of the most important rivers in Poland at 1,047 km (651 miles) in...
river, although some legends place him in the Wawel mountains. In some stories the dragon lived before the founding of the city, when the area was inhabited by farmers.
The
Wawel CathedralWawel Cathedral is a church located on Wawel Hill in Kraków, which is Poland's national sanctuary. It has a 1,000-year history and was the traditional coronation site of Polish monarchs. It is the cathedral of the archdiocese of Kraków...
features a statue of the Wawel Dragon and a plaque commemorating his defeat by
KrakusKrakus or Krak or Grakch is the name given to a legendary Polish prince and founder of Kraków, the ruler of the tribe of Lechitians . Krakus is also credited with building Wawel Castle. The first recorded mention of Krakus , then spelled Grakch, is in the Chronica seu originale regum et principum...
, a Polish prince who, according to the plaque, founded the city and his palace on the slain dragon's lair. The dragon's cave under the castle is now a popular tourist stop.
A popular version of the Wawel Dragon tale takes place in Kraków during the reign of king
KrakusKrakus or Krak or Grakch is the name given to a legendary Polish prince and founder of Kraków, the ruler of the tribe of Lechitians . Krakus is also credited with building Wawel Castle. The first recorded mention of Krakus , then spelled Grakch, is in the Chronica seu originale regum et principum...
, the city's legendary founder. Each day the evil dragon would beat a path of destruction across the countryside, killing people, pillaging their homes and devouring their livestock. In many versions of this story, the dragon especially enjoyed eating young girls, and could only be appeased if the townfolk would leave a young girl in front of his cave once a month. The King certainly wanted to put a stop to that awful situation, but his bravest
knightA knight was a "gentleman soldier" or member of the warrior class of the Middle Ages in Europe. In other Indo-European languages, cognates of cavalier or rider are more prevalent suggesting a connection to the knight's mode of transport...
s fell to the dragon's fiery breath. In the versions involving the sacrifice of young girls, every girl in the city was eventually sacrificed except one, the King's daughter Wanda. In desperation, the King promised his beautiful daughter's hand in marriage to anybody who could defeat the dragon. Great warriors from near and far fought for the prize and failed. One day, a poor cobbler's apprentice named Dratewka accepted the challenge. He stuffed a lamb with sulphur and set it outside the dragon's cave. The dragon ate it and soon became incredibly thirsty. No amount of water could quell his stomach ache, and after swelling up from drinking half of the Vistula river, he exploded. The apprentice married the King's daughter as promised and they lived happily ever after.
Further reading