Renaissance Route in Lesser Poland

The Renaissance Route in Lesser Poland links 21 sites that show best how 16th-century Italy reshaped the region: royal castles, a humanist's suburban villa, fortified manor houses, a town hall and chapels. The route was prepared by the Kraków-based Villa Decius Association together with the Małopolska Region. It is not a single monument but a ready-made key for planning trips – from Wawel to the fortified manor in Szymbark.

How the route is built

The core is in Kraków: Wawel Royal Castle, Wawel Cathedral with the Sigismund Chapel, the Renaissance palaces on Kanonicza Street and Villa Decius. The other sites are grouped into three routes:

• northern – the churches in Zielonki, Giebułtów and Modlnica, Pieskowa Skała Castle, Mirów Castle in Książ Wielki, the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Miechów and the church in Bodzentyn,
• southern – the castle and former monastery in Sucha Beskidzka,
• eastern – the Cistercian abbey in Mogiła, the Branicki "Lamus" in Branice, the castle and Branicki chapel in Niepołomice, the town hall, townhouses and cathedral in Tarnów, the manor house in Jeżów and the fortified manor in Szymbark.

Bodzentyn now lies in the Świętokrzyskie region, but it was included because the Renaissance high altar from Wawel Cathedral ended up there.

Villa Decius – the starting point

The route's patron is Justus Ludwig Decius, secretary to King Sigismund I and co-author of the monetary reform. His villa in Wola Chełmska – today Wola Justowska, named after him – was built in 1533/34–c. 1535, modelled on suburban villas around Florence and Rome. It was the work of Giovanni Cini, Bernardino de Gianotis and Filippo da Fiesole, the same team that finished the Sigismund Chapel. The three-storey arcaded loggia between two towers dates from a rebuilding in the first quarter of the 17th century. The association was founded in 1995 and has had its seat in the villa since 1996.

Highlights outside Kraków

• Sucha Beskidzka – the Florentine goldsmith Gaspare Castiglione (Kasper Suski) began a fortified manor here in 1554–1580, and Piotr Komorowski rebuilt it in 1608–1614 as a residence modelled on Kraków's royal castle. Its arcaded courtyard earned it the nickname "Little Wawel".
• Książ Wielki – Mirów Castle was built in 1585–1595 for Bishop Piotr Myszkowski to a design by Santi Gucci. Today it houses a school.
• Miechów – in 2008 a Renaissance painted dome with the coats of arms of Sigismund the Old and Bona Sforza was uncovered in the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre.
• Jeżów – one of the best-preserved fortified Renaissance manor houses in Poland; the walls of its older part are up to 175 cm thick, and the murals in the Castle Hall date from 1544.
• Tarnów – the town hall, rebuilt in 1567–1594, with an attic crowned by 14 stone masks.
• Szymbark – a 20 × 13 m fortified manor with four corner towers, restored by 2010.

Tripto tips

The whole route takes several days by car from a base in Kraków; one sub-route per day is sensible. The sites serve different purposes – museums, churches, schools, cultural institutions – so check opening hours and access rules for each one separately. Mirów Castle and several of the churches are mainly seen from outside; plan full visits at Wawel, Niepołomice, Sucha Beskidzka, Tarnów and Szymbark.