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The Wawel Cathedral (Katedra Wawelska)

By far the most important, and arguably the most magnificent Polish cathedral stands on the Wawel Hill, next to the Wawel Castle in Krakow. It has been Poland's national sanctuary for a thousand years, a burial ground for nineteen Polish kings and some of the most significant figures in the nation's history, including generals, poets and saints. The breathtaking interiors of the Wawel Cathedral (Katedra Wawelska, Katedra na Wawelu) shelter priceless art from all periods of Polish history and its tower contains the bronze heart of Poland – the giant Sigismund Bell.

Three Wawel Cathedrals

The current Wawel Cathedral is in fact the third one to stand on the Wawel Hill. Little is known about the first one, built shortly after the Krakow bishopric was established in 1000. The second cathedral was a Romanesque limestone and sandstone basilica, consecrated in 1142. When in 1320 it became the coronation place of Polish kings – the first one being Wladyslaw Lokietek (The Elbow-Short) – there was a need for a church worthy of the new capital. The third cathedral, preserved until this day, was finished after a forty-year construction period in 1364. The remains of the Romanesque building now form the st. Leonard's Crypt.

Throughout the centuries some significant changes have been made in the cathedral: numerous chapels were added, the interior decoration changed from Gothic to Renaissance, and finally to late-Baroque (in the 18^th century), which was partially removed during one of the 20^th-century renovations. Obviously as time passed, more and more royal tombs were added.

The Wawel Cathedral's Symbolic Meaning

When Poland lost its independence, the Wawel Cathedral lost much of its visual splendor, but its symbolic meaning remained; even grew. It became a burial place for the greatest Poles, like the fighters for independence – Tadeusz Kościuszko and prince Jozef Poniatowski or poets Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Slowacki. This custom was kept even after 1918, and, among others, Jozef Pilsudski and Wladyslaw Sikorski lay in the tombs of the cathedral.

The Wawel Cathedral's Interior

The central part of the Wawel Cathedral is dominated by the 1629 mausoleum of Saint Stanislaus, Poland's patron and a Krakow bishop, murdered in 1079 by King Boleslaw the Bold. The mausoleum contains a silver coffin, dating back to 1670, inside which the saint's relics are gathered and decorated with scenes from the martyr's life.

Located all around the cathedral are the royal tombs, the most spectacular of which belong to Casimir the Great (died 1370) and Wladyslaw Jagiello (1434) – both carved in red marble, and can be rated among Europe's best sculptures of that time. In the oldest of the Wawel Cathedral tombs, rests King Wladyslaw Lokietek (1333).

Among the eighteen chapels, the most famous is certainly the Sigismund Chapel (or Kaplica Zygmuntowska), a true pearl of Renaissance art, perhaps its most magnificent example outside Italy. It was built between 1517 and 1533 by an Italian architect, Bartolomeo Berrecci, meant as a mausoleum for King Sigismund The Old and his family. Its marvelous interior contains three royal tombs and beautiful sculptures by Berrecci himself, Padovano and Santi Gucci.

Poland's Biggest Bell

Those who visit the Wawel Cathedral should also see the giant Sigismund Bell (dzwon Zygmunta), cast in 1520. The bell weighs over 10 tons, and its diameter is about 2.5 meters. Rung only on the most important occasions, it can be heard kilometers away. It is believed that if you touch its clapper and whisper a wish, it will come true. Getting to the Sigismund Bell requires climbing to the top of the Wawel Cathedral's tower, but those who decide to do it will be rewarded with a fantastic panorama view of Krakow.