'The finest Renaissance edifice north of the Alps' was unveiled this month after a year's careful restoration. The Sigismund Chapel (Zygmunt in Polish), called after it's namesake King Sigismund the Old, adorns the southern elevation of Cracow's Cathedral, the spiritual home of the nation.
It was King Sigismund who had first brought Renaissance architecture to Poland with his remodelling of the Royal Castle in Cracow. Work began on the cathedral chapel in 1519, under the guidance of Florentine architect Bernardo Berrecci (1485-1537). It is considered by many art historians to be the purest and finest example of Renaissance architecture outside Italy.
The Renaissance in Poland, a subject that is often overlooked by scholars, dovetailed with a period of prosperity in that kingdom. The reigning dynasty (the Jagiellons), who governed by courtesy of the Polish nobility, presided over a vast land mass that was unequalled in Europe at the turn of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The arts flourished, as did trade: Poland was known as the 'granary of Europe', and her seaport at Gdansk (Danzig) distributed grain and timber across the world.
The Sigismund Chapel underwent major renovation over the last twelve months. Conservationists cleaned the centuries old patina of wax and dirt, and laser treatment was used to treat cracks and damaged features.
Architect and critic Marta Urbanska declared the restoration 'a triumph' yet lamented the deterioration of other comparable monuments. The forgotten Sieniewski chapel at Brzezany (now in Western Ukraine) is now a ripe candidate for Unesco's World's Most Endangered Buildings List.
Visitors to the Cathedral on Wawel Hill will, however, only be allowed a peek inside the Sigismund Chapel, which remains a sanctified space that is off limits to both visitors and worshippers. However, a good deal can be seen through the wide iron grates of the door. Permits can be obtained from the provost to walk about the interior in special cases.
|