Construction of Wawel Cathedral

Wawel Cathedral is the main church of Krakow and the traditional coronation site and burial place of Polish monarchs, standing on Wawel Hill beside the royal castle. A cathedral was built on the hill in the early eleventh century, in the time of Bolesław the Brave, but the present Gothic building dates mainly from the fourteenth century. Over the centuries, chapels were added in different styles, the most famous being the Renaissance Sigismund Chapel with its golden dome. The crypts hold kings and queens, national heroes such as Tadeusz Kosciuszko and Jozef Pilsudski, and, since 2010, President Lech Kaczynski. It remains a national symbol of Poland.

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