Page 31 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Krakow

THE HIST OR Y OF KR AK OW  29

A Renaissance Portal
The first post office in Where to See
16th-century Poland, serving Renaissance Krakow
the Krakow-Venice route, was
situated in the house of Prospero Renaissance architecture was
Provana. Today the building introduced by Italian masters
houses the Hotel Pod Różą. during the rebuilding of Wawel
Royal Castle in the early 16th
century. The Zygmunt Chapel
(see pp66–71), the Montelupis
Monument at St Mary’s Church
(see pp94–5) and a number of
houses at Kanonicza Street
Cock of the Marksmen’s (see p81) are among the finest
Brotherhood examples of Renaissance art
This gilt masterpiece, made in 1565, and architecture in the city.
belonged to the members of the
Brotherhood whose aim was to
support soldiers responsible for
the defence of the town.

The arcaded courtyard at
Oval recess Wawel Royal Castle is one of
with Renaissance the most beautiful in Europe
decoration (see pp72–3).

Monument of
Zygmunt August
King Zygmunt August was
a patron of the arts. It was
through his commissions
that the Royal Castle at
Wawel was enriched with
an outstanding collection The Renaissance Cloth Hall
of tapestries. The king’s (see pp104–5), topped with
monument was made a characteristic parapet,
by Santi Gucci between displayed the prosperity
1574 and 1575, in of Jagiellonian Krakow.
Hungarian red marble.

1595 Santi Gucci works on the
Tomb of
After 1550 Stefan Batory tomb of King Stefan Batory
Santi Gucci comes
to Poland
1550 1560 1570 1580 1590
1569 Polish-Lithuanian 1586 First secular 1595 Archconfraternity
commonwealth secondary school of The Passion
established is opened established
1556–1559 Giovanni Maria 1574 Coronation of the first 1596 Royal court moves
Padovano rebuilds the Cloth Hall elected king, Henri de Valois from Krakow to Warsaw