The Cathedral Museum
Wawel 3
The most precious treasure and relic stored here, at the same time one of the most important symbols in Polish history, is the head of the spear of St Maurice: a medieval ceremonial weapon considered the oldest insignia of power in Poland. A copy of the Holy Lance or Spear of Destiny, symbolising the power of the Empire, was a gift from the German Emperor Otto III, who offered it to King Boleslaus the Brave (Bolesław Chrobry) at the Congress of Gniezno in 1000. Precisely a quarter of a century later, Boleslaus was crowned the first king of Poland. For centuries, the spear was stored in the Cathedral Treasury, and only taken out for the most important ceremonies. The museum also presents other precious objects from the Cathedral Treasury: liturgical vessels and vestments from various periods, historical reliquaries, regalia, as well as items relating to bishops and national heroes, and other works of art. The idea to set up a museum presenting to the public objects that had previously been hidden from view in the cathedral’s treasury came from Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II. Now the museum holds a separate room devoted to the items connected with the Polish Pope.
Tickets: normal PLN 12, concessions PLN 7
closed on Sundays and holidays