This spectacular castle is one of the most important historical site int he whole of Poland. When Kraków was the capital of Poland, the Wawel Royal Castle was where the Polish kings resided ( 1333-1795). It was built ont he Wawell Hill during the reign of Casmir the Great. Originally Romanesque in style, the building was refurbished several times, notably in the renaissance period. Wawell experienced its golden age from the 14th through the 16th centuries under the last Piast kings and the Jagellon dynasty. The Jagellonian kings Alexander I ( 1501-1506), Sigismund I the Old ( 1506-1548), and Sigismund II Augustus ( 1548-1572) transformed the small medieval castle into one of the finest Italianate Renaissance palaces in Central Europe. Sigismund I and his son presided over a great flowering of the arts and humanities. The Renaissance building, preserved to this day, with its beautiful arcaded courtyard, is impressive in its monumental layout, spacious brightly lit interiors, and magnificent use of architectural forms originating from ancient art, hitherto unkonown in Poland. The building was a breakthrough int he development of architecture in Poland.
The adjunct Wawell Cathedral was the place of connections and burials of Kings. Nowadays the castle forms a UNESCO WORLD Heritage Site and serves as a museum of royal chambers and the national crown jewels.
More information: www.wawell.krakow.pl; www.discovercracow.com
