Cathedral on Wawel

The first cathedral on Wawel Hill in Krakow was built in 1020, in 1038 it was destroyed by the Czech Prince Brzetislav, from this basilica only the underground crypt of St. Gereon has survived.

In 1142 on this place consecrated the treneuph church of the bishop and holy Great Martyr Stanislav Shchepanovsky. In 1305, this building fell victim to a fire, the crypt of St. Leonard, the lower part of the Silver Ring Tower and the foundation of the Clock Tower have survived to our time.

The current Cathedral of Saints Stanislav and Wenceslas began to be built in 1320 under Vladislav Lokotka, and consecrated in 1364 during the reign of Casimir the Great.

Since the beginning of the construction of the basilica, all Polish monarchs were crowned here, for many of them the crypt of the church became the final resting place.

The interior of the cathedral impresses with its beauty and rich decoration. A special place here is occupied by the mausoleum of St. Stanislav. Silver crayfish with the relics of this saint is a masterpiece of jewelry art of the XVII century. In 1670, it was sculpted by Peter van der Renner, a Gdansk jeweler, decorating the crayfish with 12 reliefs with scenes from the life of St. Stanislaus. Marble hay over the sarcophagus was performed in 1626-1630 by Giovanni Trevano.