Wawel Royal Castle-State Art Collection

The Wawel Royal Castle sits atop a limestone outcrop overlooking the Vistula River, recognizable by the mismatched rooflines of its Renaissance courtyard and the jagged skyline of its mixed architectural styles. For centuries, this site held the Polish monarchy, serving as the coronation and burial place for generations of kings. When Sigismund the Old brought Italian architects here in the early sixteenth century, they transformed the medieval fortress into a sprawling, arcaded palace that reflected the refined tastes of the European Renaissance.