Wawel - Gothic (13th – 14th Century)

Gothic (13th – 14th Century)

In 1305 or 1306 the cathedral was only partially destroyed by a fire, which made possible the coronation of Władysław I the Elbow-high in 1320. In the same year construction of a third cathedral began at the King’s behest, the key elements of which are preserved today. It was consecrated in 1364. It is trinaval in construction, with the transept and the ambit, with chapels added in later centuries. The first ones were built at chancel – in 1322 St. Margarita’s chapel was consecrated (today it acts as a sacristy) and few years saw the completion of a chapel later called the Báthory Chapel.

The west entrance is the site of a chapel which takes its name from its benefactress Sophia of Halshany (last wife of Jogaila) and, the Świetokrzyska Chapel, established by Casimir IV Jagiellon. Other chapels were also built (at the end of the 15th century there were nineteen of them) which were later considerably rebuilt. Władysław I the Elbow-high was the first king buried in the Wawel Cathedral. His sandstone sarcophagus was founded in the half of the 14th century by Casimir III the Great. The cathedral also contains the tombs of Casimir III the Great and Jogaila but the most valuable one is that of Casimir IV Jagiellon, carved by Veit Stoss in 1492. The late-Gothic tombstone of John I Albert was carved at the beginning of the 16th century and is attributed to Jorg Huber. A gothic castle was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great and consisted of a number of structures situated around a central courtyard. In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland. Their reign saw the addition of the tower so-called the Hen’s Foot and the Danish Tower. The Jadwiga and Jogaila Chamber, in which ‘Szczerbiec’ is exhibited today, is another remnant of this period. Other structures were developed on the hill during this period to serve as quarters for the numerous clergy, royal clerks and craftsmen, as well as defensive walls and towers such as ‘Jordanka,’ ‘Lubranka,’ ‘Sandomierska,’ ‘Tęczyńska,’ ‘Szlachecka,’ ‘Złodziejska’ and ‘Panieńska.’