Wawel Castle The Gothic Wawel Castle in Kraków in Poland was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great , who reigned from 1333 to 1370 , and consists of a number of structures situated around the central courtyard . In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland . Their reign saw the addition of the tower called the Hen ' s Foot ( " Kurza Stopka " ) and the " Danish " Tower . The Jadwiga and Jogaila Chamber , in which the sword Szczerbiec , was used in coronation ceremonies , is exhibited today and is another remnant of this period . Other structures were developed on the hill during that time as well , in order to serve as quarters for the numerous clergy , royal clerks and craftsmen . Defensive walls and towers such as Jordanka , Lubranka , Sandomierska , Tęczyńska , Szlachecka , Złodziejska and Panieńska were erected in the same period . The Wawel Royal Castle and the Wawel Hill constitute the most historically and culturally important site in Poland . For centuries the residence of the kings of Poland and the symbol of Polish statehood , the Castle is now one of the country ’ s premier art museums . Established in 1930 , the museum encompasses ten curatorial departments responsible for collections of paintings , including an important collection of Italian Renaissance paintings , prints , sculpture , textiles , among them the Sigismund II Augustus tapestry collection , goldsmith ’ s work , arms and armor , ceramics , Meissen porcelain , and period furniture . The museum ’ s holdings in oriental art include the largest collection of Ottoman tents in Europe . With seven specialized conservation studios , the museum is also an important center for the conservation of works of art . History . People have lived on Wawel Hill at the site of the Castle as early as fifty thousand years ago , in the Paleolithic Age . The settlement was apparently bustling with trade , assorted crafts and local farming . When more people began to settle down on the Wawel Hill and when trade became more efficient , the rulers of Poland took up their residence at the Hill as well . During the early 16th century King Sigismund I the Old ( " Zygmunt I " in Polish ) and his wife brought in the best native and foreign artists including Italian architects , sculptors , and German decorators , to refurbish the castle into a splendid Renaissance palace . It soon became a paragon of stately residence in Central and Eastern Europe and served widely as a model throughout the region . In the fire of 1595 , the northeast part of the castle burned down . King Sigismund III Vasa rebuilt it , although of his efforts only the Senator Stairs and the fireplace in the Bird Room remain today . In 1609 King Sigismund moved the capital to Warsaw , and tough times for Wawel began . Both the castle and other buildings were neglected despite the concerns of local governors . The Swedish invasions of 1655 – 1657 and 1702 contributed to the further deterioration of the castle . The Hill was occupied by the Prussian Army in 1794 . Royal Insignia were stolen and never retrieved ( apart from the Szczerbiec ) . After the Third Partition of Poland ( 1795 ) Wawel , as an important defensive point , was modernised by Austrians with defensive walls . The interior of the castle was changed and some of the buildings pulled down . In the second part of the 19th century the Austrians redesigned the defensive walls making them a part of a stronghold . However , in 1905 the emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria gave an order for Austrian troops to leave Wawel . Restoration works began , with the discovery of the Rotunda of Virgin Mary as well as other relics of the past . The renovations of the Wawel Hill were financed by public subscriptions . After World War I , the authorities of the newly independent Polish Second Republic decided that Wawel Castle was to become a representative building of the Polish state and would be used by the Governor and later by the President himself . In 1921 the Polish Parliament passed a resolution which gave Wawel official status as the residence of the President of Poland . Following the ravages of World War II , by the decree of the State National Council , Wawel Castle became a national museum . Crown Treasury and armory . The Crown Treasury situated in the historic Gothic rooms which were used from the 15th century on for storing the Polish coronation insignia and Crown Jewels , feature on display priceless objects from the former Treasury that survived plunder , among them the memorabilia of Polish monarchs including members of their families and eminent personages , like the hat and sword given to John III Sobieski by the pope after the Battle of Vienna , as well as the coronation sword Szczerbiec . Fragment in Chicago . A column fragment of Wawel Castle has been incorporated into Chicago ' s landmark Tribune Tower . Located in its own niche over the upper - left corner of the main entrance , it is a visual tribute to Chicago ' s large Polish populace , the largest such presence outside of the Republic of Poland .