The Royal Castle on Wawel Hill
what secrets the royal chambers keep
On Wawel Hill a complex of historic buildings is located. Most precious of them are the Royal Castle and the Wawel Cathedral. Apart from them, the area of the hill also includes remnants of other buildings.
The visitors are able to see in the castle:
- The Representative Royal Chambers,
- Private Royal Apartments,
- The Royal Treasury,
- The Armoury,
- Exhibition of Orient Art,
- Archaeological reserve Lost Wawel.
While visiting the Cathedral one can see:
- The Royal Tombs in the basement of the Cathedral,
- The Crypt of National Bards,
- The Zygmunt Bell,
- The Cathedral Museum.
In addition, open for tourists are:
- The Dragon Cave,
- The route of Royal Gardens.
Representative Royal Chambers
Within the exhibition of castle interiors one can see the rooms on the ground floor and the former representative halls on the second floor of the palace. Here were welcomed the missions, organized the official celebrations and sumptuous feasts, also the Sejm was in session there.
Ground floor
The chamber in which the guests were received by the ruler, is covered with Renaissance larch ceiling. The furnishings of the hall come from the 16th and 17th century, and they are the Renaissance Netherlands and German pictures, Baroque gobelins and an Italian table. The stone portals were partially reconstructed during the war period.
The vestibule in the Envoy staircase that connects the ground floor with royal apartments on the 1st and 2nd floor, is embellished with the original, Renaissance door framing.
Second floor
The representative royal chambers are located on the 2nd floor in the eastern and northern wings. The fire which took place in the castle in 1702 and the occupiers' troops, deployed here in the 19th century, caused many damages, among others, in the original ceilings. When visiting the Royal Representative Chambers one passes on the ground floor through the Room of the ruler and through the halls on the second floor: the Tournament Hall, the Envoy Hall, the Hall under the Planets, the Hall under the Birds, the Royal Chapel, the Hall under the Eagle and the Senators' Hall.
Remained in the halls south of Envoy stairs, the Renaissance wall friezes were supplemented before 1939. In the ceiling of the Envoy hall there are 30 sculptured human heads. An original element in relation to the primary decor of the Renaissance chambers are the arrases from the 16th century. They were woven in Brussels to the order of Zygmunt August. They present images on biblical topics, contain grotesque ornaments and emblems of Poland and Lithuania. One can also admire Italian pictures and furniture, mostly Tuscan, from the 16th century, and portraits of Polish monarchs.
On the other hand, the interiors of the northern wing were renovated by the request of Zygmunt III Waza after the fire of 1595. Only the Senators' hall, the largest one in the castle avoided the fire. Its interiors are entirely decorated with arrases. In the other halls, one may find marble portals, a fireplace in the style of early Roman Baroque, as well as vault stuccos. The walls are covered with the 18th - century cordovans from the castle of king August III near Dresden. In the Dutch study in the tower of Zygmunt III there are pictures of Netherlandic painters. The pseudo-Baroque ceilings filled with plafonds of the then Polish painters - the colourists come from the interwar period. The portraits of Polish kings and members of their families, and Polish historical pictures dominate in the furnishings of this part of the castle.
One leaves the exhibition using the exit through the second of the representative staircases - the Senators' staircase.
Private Royal Apartments
Within the exhibition one can visit the private royal rooms, the chambers of court entourage and guest rooms. During visiting one passes through: the bedroom of king's guests, the Chicken Foot, the Column Hall.
South of the Envoy stairs there are chambers designed for the king's guests. Larch ceilings from the Renaissance times, and in two halls also the original wall friezes have been preserved there. Worth mentioning are the Gothic and Renaissance portals. The Renaissance furnishings of the halls come from Northern Europe and from Italy. In these halls one can also admire the arrases of King Zygmunt August showing landscapes and animals, as well as grotesque scenes. In two halls there are Italian pictures from the collection of Lanckorona, and more than 60 pictures from this collection is in the small hall of the Gothic tower.
In the north-eastern corner there is the Chicken Foot, in the Lokietek tower the bedroom of Zygmunt Stary, and in the tower of Zygmunt III the study with a decor from 1600. In the interwar period of the 20th century the apartment of Ignacy Moscicki was located here. The president's bedroom was reconstructed in the Danish tower. In the northern wing of the palace exhibits have been collected coming from the times of the Wettins dynasty ruling in Poland (18th century), among others, the collection of Meissen porcelain, silverwares and tapestries. The last two halls are arranged in classical style.
The Royal Treasury
The Royal Treasury was formerly located on the ground floor of the north-eastern corner of the castle. Since the 14th century the regalia were kept in it (the crowns, sceptres, the coronation sword - the so-called Szczerbiec, the evangeliary) and other valuables that comprised the official property of the state. In addition to it, a private treasury of the ruler was also in the castle in which his personal insignia, valuables and ceremonial dishes were kept. The holdings of the Royal Treasury enlarged with subsequent diplomatic gifts and the bequests of monarchs. Most of them were taken out only on exceptional occasions, such as royal coronations. In 1792 the first public demonstration of insignia took place.
In 1795 the content of the Treasury was robbed by Prussian troops, the coronation insignia were destroyed, and nearly all jewellery was lost. For this reason the present exhibition only refers to the previous magnificence of the Treasury. Since 1930 the collection has been permanently enlarged with significant works of art and historical mementos.
The Hall of Kazimierz Wielki
This hall played in the first half of the 14th century the role of a representative residential apartment from the times of the last Piasts. One can still admire therein the remains of painting decorations from the end of the 14th century and a fresco with the monogram of Queen Jadwiga. The Hall of Kazimierz Wielki is also called the Chicken Foot, and this is because of a massive pillar in the middle of all the three storeys of the tower.
The exhibition in this hall includes jewels (3rd - 18th century), the medieval liturgical dishes and jewellery related to the rulers of Poland. One can admire, among others, the candlesticks with the coats of arms of Stefan Batory, the patera and chessboard from Zygmunt III, a jewel with a medal of Wladyslaw IV Waza, a dish in the shape of the Eagle from the tableware of Jan Kazimierz, a miniature from August III Sas in a diamond frame and other, as well as ceremonial dishes and clocks from the 16th - 18th centuries and the medals of Polish Orders of White Eagle and Saint Stanislaw.
The Hall of Jadwiga and Jagiello
The Hall of Jadwiga and Jagiello, later known as the Danish tower, is located in the Gothic pavilion from the end of the 14th century. In this hall there is the most precious Polish historical memento - the Szczerbiec, that is the coronation sword of the kings of Poland, as well as the sword of Zygmunt I Stary.
The Hall in the tower of Zygmunt III
The Tower of Zygmunt was erected ca. 1600. In the hall of this tower the exhibition of honourable signs of Jan III Sobieski is located, among others, the coat of the knight of the order of Holy Spirit that he received in 1676 from the king of France Louis XIV and the hat and sword from the gift of pope Innocent XI in 1684.
The hall with ceremonial arms
In this hall first of all some spoils are located from the campaigns of Polish armies from the 17th century. One can see the trophies from the relief of Vienna from 1683, mostly decorated trappings for horses and saddles made in Turkey, Persia and in Poland in the 17th and 18th century. The collection is supplemented by the arms from the arsenal of Jan III Sobieski in Zolkiew.
The Armoury
In the armoury one can see the collections of armours, helmets, shields and weapons.
Hall no. 1
In the vestibule opening the exhibition of the Armoury one can see the shaft weapons and the two-handed swords. The representative halberds used by court and municipal guards are the largest group of exhibits in this hall. Some of them are richly ornamented and bear the coats of arms of the rulers. The glaive with the coats of arms of the Saxon dynasty of the Wettins comes from the 16th century. A group of partisans of court guards of Jan Kazimierz, Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki, Jan III Sobieski, August II Mocny and August III Sas is also located in the hall. The collection of two-handed swords comes from the 16th and 17th century.
Hall no. 2
In the second hall there is a collection of armours. Made by Nurembergian armourer Konrad Poler, the tournament armour from the Court of Artus in Gdansk comes from 1490. The German full plate armours come from the 16th and 17th century. The major part of the exhibits are however the Polish Hussar half-armours from the 17th century including the unique piece with original wings. The collection includes also scaled armours, used in Poland in the end of the 17th and at the beginning of the 18th century, the so-called karacenas.
Hall no. 3
The third hall includes exhibits of the West European weapons from the end of the 15th century until the beginning of the 19th century. Successively, the medieval and modern swords, rapiers, sabres and epees are placed. The representative pieces of German, Italian, French and Spanish weapons are richly ornamented. The defensive armament includes the two very rare Hussar helmets from the end of the 17th century - the kapalins. One can also see a collection of Polish sabres - karabelas, Hussar sabres, the so-called chechugas. The collections also include the pommel of the sabre of the Grand Crown Hetman Stanislaw Jablonowski, the participant of the battle of Vienna in 1683.
Hall no. 4
In the fourth hall the hand and projectile weapons have been collected. One can see rifles, arquebuses, petrinals and pistols from the 16th - 19th century, inlaid with ivory, ornamented with etching and engraving. In addition, one can also admire the sport and hunting crossbows, including the piece from 1725 which belonged to the brother of Stanislaw August - Kazimierz Poniatowski.
The basements
The last part of the exhibition is located in the basements - the Gothic one from the 14th century and two Renaissance ones from the first half of the 16th century. The barrels of the cannons, howitzers and mortars have been placed against the walls. Under the vault of the first basement, the banners of the Knights of the Cross from Grunwald from 1410 hang, reconstructed in the 20th century on the basis of the chronicles of Jan Dlugosz and miniatures by Stanislaw Durink.
The Art of Orient
This exhibition gathers monuments showing the fascination of the Polish society with the works of craftsmanship of Turkey, Crimea, Caucasus, or Iran. These are carpets, silks, tapestries, weapons, ceremonial saddles and trappings that entered both the everyday and special use. The most important part of the exhibition is collected on the 1st floor of the western wing of the castle, and contains the trophies and mementos related to the relief of Vienna from 1683. It was when the troops under the command of Jan III Sobieski achieved victory over the Turkish army, under the command of Kara Mustafa.
The vestibule
The first part of the exhibition are two fragments of Turkish tents from the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. They make the background of the painting showing the Battle of Vienna and the marble bust of King Jan III Sobieski.
Hall no. 2
In the hall housing the banners, one can admire four Turkish banners captured in 1683 and the banner captured in the battle of Parkany of 9 October 1683. Other trophies are a panache, a horse-tail ensign (the sign of military power) and the legendary sabre of Kara Mustafa. In the showcases and on the podium there is a Turkish armour for a horse from the 16th century and a collection of Turkish and Persian sabres from the 17th and 18th century. Further one can see Turkish and Caucasian prayer books from the 18th - 19th century coming from the collection of Wlodzimierz and Jerzy Kulczycki in Lvov.
Hall no. 4
This is the hall dedicated to the ceramics of the Far East. On the platforms, the great Chinese vases from the 17th - 18th century are placed, including a vase for storing ginger and a dish decorated with the Buddhist presentation of prosperity symbols - "the eight precious items". They are characterized by rich, floral decor painted with cobalt or a multicolour, artistic decor. In the glasscase, the goods made of stoneware, porcelain, steatite (a semiprecious stone) are also placed, being the figures of deities or small dishes.
Halls no. 5-6
In the interior over the Berecci Gate, Japanese porcelain has been collected. It comes from the 18th century and represents the Imari type. This collection is a gift from Tsarina Catherine II for the Prussian prince Heinrich Hohenzollern that by inheritance fell into possession of the Radziwill and Potocki families.
The Lost Wawel
This exhibition was opened in 1975 and it is located in the basement of the building closing the courtyard of the royal castle from the western side. This is an archaeological and architectural reserve including the rotunda of Holy Virgin Mary, the Gothic remains of the castle and the relics of the Renaissance royal kitchens. One presents in it the results of archaeological findings, fragments of sculptural architectonic decoration, from the times of the Middle Ages to the modern period. The boards, a Wawel castle model and the program of virtual computer reconstruction of selected buildings give visitors insight into changes in the development of the Hill.
Hall no. 1
These are the former royal kitchens where one can see the remains of the Gothic castle. In the northern wall of the room, the front of the south-eastern apse of the rotunda of Holy Virgin Mary from the 9th century is visible. Originally it probably played the role of the chapel of the prince's residence that had its sacred role until 1517. The present appearance of the hall is a result of the reconstruction conducted in 1917 by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz.
Halls no. 2-3
These are the interiors of the former royal coach-houses from the 17th century and of the 16th century "small kitchen". Here you can see the monuments in the form of pots, wooden, bone and horn tools, weapons, jewellery, coins, floor tiles and stove tiles originating from the period of the early and late Middle Ages. Romanesque and Gothic sculptures, as well as models of buildings from that period are also located here. All of this on the background of original walls and paving.
Halls no. 4-5
The next two halls include the richly decorated architectonic details coming from the palace (from the years 1500-1540) and the tiles from the Wawel stoves from the period from the 16th to 18th century. Here one can find the bases and capitals of the columns, a pilaster, a window cornice, a lintel frieze, a sculpted step of the stairs, the cartouche with the Jagiellonian Eagle, the Renaissance altar, the so-called Zatorski which comes from the cathedral and a statue of king David created by Bartolommeo Berrecci.
The Dragon's Cave
In the western slope of the Wawel hill there is a cave known as the Dragon's Cave, with which is connected the legend of the Dragon of Wawel. This legend can be found in the chronicles by Wincenty Kadlubek from the turn of the 12th and 13th century.
In the 15th century Jan Dlugosz made a hero king Krak himself. In the 16th century, owing to Joachim Bielski, clever shoemaker Skuba became the main character of this legend as the one who beat the dragon by a trick.
After reconquering independence by Poland in 1918, Professor Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz adapted the cave for visiting.
The Dragon's Cave
The entrance to the Dragon's Cave is located not far from the Thieves' Tower. The staircase leading downwards from the level of the hill has been built in the former Austrian well. The cave is 270 m long, however, 81 m are available to the visitors.
Chamber „A”
Chamber "A", located on the highest level, in the 19th century was flooded by water and served as its source for the inhabitants of the hill. A short narrowing leads from it to the main chamber.
Chamber „B”
The middle chamber is 25 m long, and its height comes up to 10 m. This is the largest chamber, and its interior is naturally divided into two parts. In 1830 its highest part was covered with a brick dome. In this way the hole was closed in the ceiling by which in 1829 historian Ambrozy Grabowski got to the cave. He described the interior of the cave as the first one. Owing to his efforts, in the years 1843-1846 the cave was made available for visitors. In the 17th and 18th century part of this chamber served as a warehouse and convivial hall of an inn situated in front of the bottom entry to the cave, on the bank of the Vistula River. The 160 m long line of narrow and muddy corridors is not available for tourists.
Chamber „C”
The southern chamber is 11m long, 5.8 m wide and 4 m high. Its rocky ceiling is supported by two brick pillars. In its interior one can see the ledges, stacks and karst cracks. The room of the inn was located here before.
The Wawel Dragon
On the boulevard of the Vistula river, the sculpture of the Wawel Dragon by Bronislaw Chromy from 1972 is placed.
"The Royal Garden" route
In September 2005 the garden on the top terrace at the eastern facade of the castle was opened to the public.
This is the first part from the reconstructed garden complex existing in this part of the hill in the age of the Renaissance. Reconstruction of the royal garden has become possible as a result of discovering, during archaeological works, the remnants of a royal garden. It was possible to reconstruct the system of brick paths and regular flowerbeds. The box flowerbeds have been used as those frequently used in that time for presentation of plant collections.
On the contrary, for the part of the hill for which traces of original composition were not found, the solutions typical of the 15th and 16th century have been designed. These are the ornamental beds with simple patterns and a flower meadow with a trellis. The iconography from the 15th and 16th century served as the source for creating the garden architecture.
In the royal garden the following plants have been planted: box, lavender, catnip, rue, rosemary, asperula, French rose and many others.
See also
Wawel - prices & opening hours
The Wawel Hill is being made available touring every day, also days of the free admission are outlined.
Wawel's history
In Cracow, on the left bank of the Vistula River, there is a hill with the height of 228 m above the sea level.
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FERDUSTE2008-03-25
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COLINA DEL CIELO, TU MAJESTUOSA PRESENCIA ES EL ALMA D EUROPA. BESOS.KRIS2008-02-20
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