The Wawel Cathedral: Krakow, Poland

St. Leonard's Crypt

The first cathedral at Wawel was presumably constructed slightly after the Krakow diocese was established, so around the year of 1000.  There is not a lot identified with the original cathedral, therefore it would be hard to reconstruct the appearance.  There is more known about the successive Romanesque church from the 11^th and 12^th centuries.  It was constructed in recognization of Duke Władysław Herman (1079-1102).  The newly built church was therefore built in 1142.  It was a “triple-aisle basilica”, built with sandstone and limestone.  There was most likely galleries over the side aisles.  On the west and east sides of the church there were, factually, galleries build on a “rectangular plan” with semicircular apses.  Crypts were also under the galleries.  Two towers were built on a “square plan” on the west side of the church.   Large parts of the structure have survived and are standing still today.  This includes St. Leonard’s Crypt and the lower part of the south tower.

Lower part of South Tower (white)

This cathedral was the center of worship of the Krakow bishop, St Stanislaus, who was eventually murdered in 1253 ordered by King Boleslaw the Bold.  The grave of St Stanislaus became a target of destination for Polish pilgrims and pilgrims from neighboring countries.  The adoration of this saint was associated with the idea of the “unification of the Polish Kingdom” after the period of its regional breakup.  It was because of this that the tradition of having ceremonies of crowning of Polish Kings at the Gniexo Arch cathedral was broken on January 20^th, 1320.  After this, the Wawel Cathedral became the site where the coronations   of Polish rulers took place.

The Romanesque church was “damaged by time” and was thought not splendid enough to be the main church of the Krakow Diocese.  Bishop Jan Muskata therefore said a proposal to have a brand new church built.  However, the project was never completed and only the foundations of the Gothic polygonal chancel were built.  The present cathedral that has stood mostly unaffected was built in phases under bishops Nanker, Jan Grot, and Bodzanta: 1320- 1346: chancel with its ambulatory, and 1346- 1364: aisle body.

Some stonework workshops were engaged one after another to fully construct the cathedral.  The church was considered holy on March 28^th, 1364.  The Gothic cathedral was built with a “triple-aisled basilica with a transept” and an alter.  This was built on a rectangular plan, with an ambulatory. 

Royal Chapel (Gold roof)

After the Gothic church was raised, bishops had the first chapels built along its exterior walls.  This was a process which continued through the 14^th and 15^th centuries.  In the 16^th century, there were major changes to the cathedrals interior.  Francesco the Florentine was an Italian sculpture in the beginning of the Renaissance.  The breakthrough was the building of the Royal Chapel (known today as the Sigismund Chapel).  This chapel soon served as a model for many other Renaissance and Mannerist bishop mausoleums, which replaced earlier Gothic structures at the Cathedral.

The current, Gothic cathedral, is the third structure on this site: the first was constructed and destroyed in the 11th century; the second was constructed in the 12th century abd was destroyed by a fire in 1305. The construction of the current one begun in the 14th century on the orders of bishop Nanker.

Some medieval altars, including the High Alter, influenced new Renaissance structures.  Magnificent works imported from Nuremberg are particularly notable: foundry works (sarcophagus plates, grilles), gold-work (some elements of the Sigismund Chapel decor) and paintings (casements in the altar in the Sigismund Chapel). All these are works by Peter and Hans Vischer, Peter Flötner, Melchior Baier and Georg Pencz.

During the next two centuries, the inside décor of the Wawel Cathedral was remodeled.  In the 17^th century there were many donations from bishops and royalties, so almost all of the new furnishings from the earlier centuries were removed and replaced with new stalls, paintings, and alters.  These furnishings were typically made from black and rose marble.  The effect of remodeling of the nave and the chancel in the Baroque-style, more domed chapels were built, with the igh Altar as a dominant element.

            Changes in the 18^th century gave the cathedral its late-baroque appearance. Most of the interior furnishings which were diverse in material, form, and decoration, were replaced with new elements in an “orderly and consistent manner”.  There was more emphasis on following the principles of symmetry and “clear compositional axes”.  Also, the number of side alters were reduced.  There was a need for more natural light, so unfortunately they had to raise the walls of the ambulatory to the level of the chancel.  Therefore the interior of the cathedral was changed quite dramatically. 

            When Poland’s independence was lost, this affected the Wawel Cathedral a lot.  It did not receive large amounts of donations from royals and bishops, and the lands of the Cathedral Chapter were largely reduced and no longer provided for the needs of the cathedral.

            The Cathedral became a destination for patriotic pilgrims and became a venue for ceremonies on anniversaries and other Polish history events in the 19^th century.  There were many important leaders in Poland that made the cathedral a “Polish Pantheon”, including the poet Adam Mickiewicz.

MAP: http://www.krakow-info.com/planKrak.htm

                        From 1895- 1910 there was a renovation that shaped the present appearance of the cathedral today.  During this renovation, historic furnishings and décor were preserved.  Unfortunately, some of the Baroque decorative elements were removed.  New works were also added, mainly wall paintings, stained-glass, grilles, and other elements.  The 20^th century was still a time of renovation of both the monuments and of the cathedral itself.  Some of the chapels were restored and all of the cathedral’s facades were restored some years before 2000.  Therefore, the church was preparing itself to become the center of events in the “Krakow Diocese and the Great Jubilee of Christianity.”

  

 INFO AND PHOTOS: (unless specified)

Hayes, Holly. "Wawel Cathedral, Krakow." Sacred Destinations, 20 Aug. 2009. Web.

 
"The History of Wawel Cathedral » Brief History of Wawel Cathedral." Królewska Katedra Na Wawelu P.w. św. Stanisława BM I św. Wacława. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2013.