Crown Treasury and Armoury

Crown Treasury and Armoury is located on the ground floor of the Wawel Castle and its cellars. It has Gothic rooms with the ceilings which large part preserved original shape. It presents royal valuables and weapons. The most valuable monument is Szczerbiec - the coronation sword of Polish kings, the only original crowning insignia from the times of the Piast Dynasty.

Crown Treasury collected the most valuable items belonged to Polish kings since the Middle Ages. Apart from crowning insignias, it also consisted of gifts given by foreign legations and private persons and private acquisitions of Polish kings. The first time Crown Treasury and Armoury was opened to the public was in 1792. It was plundered by Prussian army shortly thereafter. Szerbiec survived but other crowning insignias were destroyed.

Today, Crown Treasury consists of valuable liturgical vessels, jewelry which the oldest parts date back to the 12th century, tableware from precious metals, and gala clocks. Szczerbiec and the sword of Sigismund I the Old are presented in the Hall of Jadwiga and Jagiełło. Crown Treasury also displays gala weaponry, coat, and the sword of John III Sobieski. Armory, which is located in the nearby rooms, presents weapons used by Polish armies from the early Middle Ages to the 19th century.