When was wawel castle built

By the end of the 13th century, by order of King Wenceslaus III, the obsolete wooden fortifications were turned into stone walls that protected both the Castle and the buildings located in the lower part of the hill. During the time of Casimir III, a majestic Gothic castle was built on Wawel hill; it was equal to the residences of monarchs of other European superpowers.

Unfortunately, a huge fire which broke out in severely damaged and somehow contributed to a considerable rebuilding of the Castle. Afterwards the main part of the buildings was in the Renaissance style. Generally, the 16th century was known as Cracow's «golden age» and Wawel Castle reached its apogee. At that time the Jagiellonians, members of one of the most powerful European dynasties, dwelt in the Castle.

Rulers often came from this dynasty and sat on three thrones simultaneously: Polish, Czech and Hungarian, so Wawel fortress was a place where honourable guests were received, celebrations and royal ceremonies were held and important alliances were joined.

No wonder that the old royal castle was replaced by the huge palace on which the best Italian builders, sculptors and painters worked for several decades. When they at last retreated in , it was handed back to Poland. Carpets, tent panels and military standards from the Ottoman Empire are on display, while in another room a vast collection of East Asian ceramics may be found. The nearest tram stops are Wawel, at the foot of Wawel Hill, and Stradom, a 5-minute walk away.

Buses also run to Stradom and Jubilat, a minute walk away. Explore the diverse history of Poland, from the great Barbakan to the beautiful Wilanow Palace, through our guide to 10 historic sites, landmarks and monuments to see when in Poland. Image Credit: Shutterstock. King Alexander r. The new building with a large, imposing courtyard with arcaded galleries was completed in about Alongside Italian artists, German architects, wood workers, painters, and metal smiths worked for the king.

After a fire in the castle in , the king had the wing rebuilt in the early Baroque style. He also moved the royal court to Warsaw, which brought about the slow, but nevertheless steady, decline of Wawel Castle. The monarchs visited Cracow only occasionally. When Poland lost its independence in , the troops of the three nations — Russia, Prussia, and Austria — that partitioned the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth successively occupied Wawel.

When the Austrians took possession, they converted the castle and a few other secular buildings into a military hospital, but demolished others, including several churches. Take something warm to wear with you. Some people assign magical properties to the hill — they say that Wawel Chakra is responsible for a flow of unique energy there and they come a long way to visit the area for spiritual reasons. Centre of said energy is supposedly located under one of the oldest parts of the Castle — st.

After Krakow was chosen as the capital of Poland, a stone Romanesque cathedral was erected on Wawel Hill — the most prominent place of the area.

Throughout his reign, a third cathedral started being built to adopt a Gothic shape. The adjoining castle was being expanded and additionally fortified. Throughout its history, Wawel served as a residence for monarchs and people of importance, this is why there are 12 unique state rooms. Wawel Castle became the main residence of Polish royalty , with many private rooms designated for them, for a long time to come.

The cathedral Wawel Cathedral also has its own towers, with Zygmuntowska tower having 5 bells, of which the largest one weighs kg. In the XVI entury, the famous arcaded courtyard of Wawel was constructed, along with the Renaissance castle to replace the Gothic one. The Italian architects and artists who were commissioned the works have also contributed to the erection of the massive Sigismund chapel at Wawel Hill. With Sigismund III Vasa coming to power, there would only be one Baroque wing built to replace a burnt part of the castle.

Wawel became a treasury for art of historical significance. Later, as the capital was moved to Warsaw and Poland lost its independence, Wawel would serve as a citadel for the Austro-Hungarian army. Certain parts e. In the second part of the 20th century, Wawel became restored and started having most of its chambers and buildings open to the public. Its rich interiors , art and military collection , as well as impressive fortifications are real must-sees while visiting Krakow. You can find a bit of Wawel Castle in the United States?!

A fragment of column from the castle has been incorporated into Tribune Tower in Chicago as a tribute to large Polish minority in Chicago, which is the largest Polish presence outside Poland! You may be wondering — what does the castle mean to contemporary Poles and how is it important to them? And for you… after reading this article, it may become a great conversation piece :.

Also, see for yourself just how incredibly insta-friendly that place is. I hope that this article has made you interested in Wawel.