Wawel Castle: photo and history

Already almost a millennium above the Vistula stands the magnificent Wawel Castle. He witnessed many historical events, experienced many wars, fires and destruction, rebuilding. This castle is a symbol of Poland, a place of special importance for the Poles.

History of the castle

During archaeological excavations it was established that already in the 11th century there was a settlement on this place, and stone walls were built in 1300 under Václav II. In the XIV century, Casimir III the Great began construction of the castle in the Gothic style. From the 11th to the beginning of the 17th century, the Wawel Castle was the residence of Polish kings and was the center of the country's spiritual and political power.

The heyday of the castle began during the reign of Sigismund I of the Old, but the fire that broke out in 1595 destroyed the building. From this moment the period of its decline begins. In 1609, Sigismund III moved the capital of the state from Krakow to Warsaw, although officially the status remained with Krakow (until 1795).

Wawel Castle in Krakow survived the Northern War, almost complete destruction by the Swedes. In 1724-1728, an attempt was made to restore it, but it was unsuccessful, and the barracks of the Austrian garrison were placed on the castle grounds. Officially, he became the property of Poland in 1905. Restoration work is still being carried out here. In 1978, Krakow was included in the list of cities that are guarded by UNESCO.

In the cathedral of the castle from the Middle Ages, Polish monarchs, political and cultural figures were buried. Lech Walesa in 1994 declared Wawel a monument of history of national importance. In mid-April 2010, President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria were buried here.

Wawel Castle (Krakow, Poland): description

On the hill of the same name there is a whole complex of unique architectural monuments. The main ones are the Cathedral of Saints Wenceslas and Stanislaus and the Royal Castle.

Restored now Wawel Castle (photo you can see below) majestically rises above the curve of the Vistula. It was bought from the Austrian government in 1905 and was restored to voluntary donations of Polish citizens. Climbing the hill from the street Kanonicha from the side of the Royal road you can see a fortified wall more than two hundred meters long. It is literally strewn with small plates on which the names of 6329 Poles were carved, who donated money for ransom and further restoration of the castle.

Monument to Kosciuszko

At the entrance to Wawel territory visitors are greeted by a monument to Tadeusz Kosciuszko - leader of the popular uprising of 1794. This is an exact copy of the monument, the original of which was demolished during the war with fascist Germany on the orders of the German governor-general.

In the postwar years, the Germans made a copy of the monument, but art critics believe that the horse under the people's hero "replaced". Previously, he was sitting on a slender stallion, and now beneath him is a German stout horse.

Expositions of the castle

Entering the royal court, visitors can choose at their discretion the direction of the excursion. In the Armory Chamber with the chambers of the Polish rulers, whose luxury and decoration were preserved by the museum staff, you can admire the magnificent canvases of medieval painters, who impress with their gigantic proportions.

Fans of historical artifacts certainly will be interested in the exhibition "Lost Wawel". Particular attention deserves the Cathedral and the mysterious and dark dungeons of the Cave of the Dragons.

Wawel Castle in the Parliament Hall has unique ceiling slabs, which are decorated with "wawel heads" - the finest carving in wood, which is made in the form of human heads. Art critics believe that these heads depict royal persons, arrogant dignitaries, knights, burghers, beautiful court ladies.

In the treasury you can see the regalia of kings, the front sword with a scabbard, the sword Shcherbets, the helmet of the governor Radziwil Black and other priceless historical artifacts. For all exhibitions, the number of tickets is limited, so at the height of the tourist season, which usually falls on summer and spring, they end at the checkout by noon.

Cathedral of St. Wenceslas and Stanislaus

Many unique cult buildings can be rightly proud of Poland. Wawel Castle, more precisely, its cathedral is one of them. It is located behind the Royal gates. From the first building, laid in the XI century, only small fragments of the tower of Silver Bells and the underground chapel of St. Leonard, in whose walls the Polish monarchs are buried.

Like any ancient castle, Krakowski is covered with numerous legends and secrets. One of them says that every year on a Christmas night the kings buried in the castle gather for secret advice in this gloomy cave and discuss how the Poles live.

The core of the Wawel Cathedral is the basilica, made in the Gothic style. It was built in the XIV century. Its facade is decorated with narrow lancet windows, and above the main entrance there is an openwork rose window.

Architecture

The main building of the temple is surrounded by twenty chapels, created in different styles and at different times. Despite this, they together form a harmonious ensemble. In addition to the tower of the Silver Bells, which got its name for the bells, which have an amazing purity of sound, two more towers adjoin the cathedral - Zigmuntovskaya and Chasovaya, named because of the huge tower clock. And Zygmuntovskaya belfry owes its name to the eleven-ton bell "Sigismund". It was cast by Cracow foundryman Jan Beam in 1520.

This romantic bell is connected with this bell - if the girl touches the huge language of "Sigismund", very soon she will successfully marry and be happy with her husband all her life.

The Legend of the Wawel Castle

Another attraction of the castle is the Cave of the Dragon, which is located in the rock. At its entrance there is a sculpture that produces intimidating sounds and even spews out a flame.

I must say that the Slavic legends contain many references to the great dragons. And the legend of the dragon, which "captured" Wawel Castle, perhaps the most famous in Poland. It has several variations, but we will tell the most common ones.

The appearance of the dragon

In ancient and old times in the cave lived a terrible and bloodthirsty dragon, who constantly demanded from local residents to sacrifice to him the youngest and beautiful girls. For many years he kept people in awe. He was defeated only by one of the sons of King Krak, who founded the city.

According to another version, this happened during the reign of Prince Krak - a wise and kind ruler. Under his guidance, the city grew, developed and rich. But one day, in the misfortune of the townspeople, a terrible fire-breathing dragon appeared in the Wawel Cave. He began regularly to steal livestock from pastures, and did not refuse from the townspeople who appeared near the cave.

Krak was already middle-aged, and knew perfectly well that he had no chance to defeat the monster. And he decided to give a cry: anyone who can defeat a dragon will receive as a reward his daughter and a half-kingdom in addition. And daredevils reached the city, but none of them could defeat the beast. And when the residents of the city had already lost all hope of getting rid of their services, a small fellow was offered his services - a student of a cobbler called Scuba.

His plans did not include a battle with a sword in his hands. Scuba decided to defeat the dragon by cunning. He slaughtered a ram, stuffed it with resin and sulfur, and left the beast at the den. The dragon swallowed the bait, and he felt sick. To calm the fire that was raging inside, he began to drink water from the Vistula until he burst.

A cunning Skuba made a lot of beautiful boots from the dragon skins and gave them to the townspeople. In memory of Krak, the townspeople planted a large hill. And about the dragon today resembles a statue, periodically breathing fire, which is installed at the entrance to the cathedral of the castle.