Wawel - Baroque (17th – 18th Century)

Baroque (17th – 18th Century)

After the fire in 1595, times when the northeast part of the castle burned down, king Sigismund III Vasa decided to rebuild it under the direction of the architect Giovanni Trevano. Basically, the Senator Stairs and the fireplace in the Bird Room remain till this day. When in 1609 king Sigismund the III moved permanently to Warsaw, tough times for Wawel began. Both the castle and other buildings fell into ruin, despite the concern of governors. Also the Swedish, who stayed in Wawel between 1655–1657 and in 1702, contributed to the deteriorating condition of the castle. In addition, the hill was occupied by the Prussian Army in 1794, when Royal Insignia were stolen (apart from the Szczerbiec), and never retrieved. In the 17th century, Wawel, as an important defensive point, was modernised with defensive walls. Later, the transfer of the capital to Warsaw did not change the role and importance of the Wawel Cathedral, which was still the place of coronations and royal funerals. On that time, many changes were introduced in the Cathedral – the main altar was rebuilt, the cloister was elevated and the Confession of St. Stanislaw (a marble altar and a silver coffin) was built. Baroque tombstones were also erected, among others were the ones of bishops: Marcin Szyszkowski, Piotr Gembicki, Jan Malachowski, Kazimierz Lubienski and kings: Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki and John III Sobieski) and chapels (Waza Chapel).