Wawel Royal Castle is the most famous castle in Poland and at the same time an important symbol of Polish statehood. The oldest traces of residential buildings on Wawel Hill come from the eleventh century, the castle was expanded by successive Polish kings. Nevertheless, the most famous reconstruction was commissioned by king Sigismund I of Poland, who rebuilt the castle after the fire of 1499. The king was known as a patron of the arts, so he brought Italian architects who designed the reconstruction in the Renaissance style that was modern at that time. Thanks to this reconstruction Cracow has the largest Renaissance courtyard in Europe. The castle was the residence of Polish kings for centuries, now there is a museum in its chambers and tourists may also visit the chapel and the crypt where the rulers were buried.
