Procession to Wawel Castle

Wacław Szymanowski’s “Procession to Wawel” is a design for a monumental group of sculptures intended for Wawel Hill in Kraków. The unrealised composition has survived in the form of a bronze sketch (bozetto), comprising 52 figures – both historical and legendary – associated with Polish history and culture.
The procession of kings, heroes and clergy is led by Fatum (Fate). According to the artist’s concept, the figures were to be life-size and placed in the courtyard at Wawel.
The figures in the procession are arranged in historical order. Fatum is followed by a group of the Piasts and Jagiellons, representing the growing power of the state and the Golden Age of Poland – the Renaissance period. Bringing up the rear are figures associated with times of crisis and the decline of the state, including King Sigismund III Vasa and monks carrying a coffin.
The presentation of this sculptural group’s design sparked a lively aesthetic debate in Kraków. Its expressiveness, dynamism and unsettling forms were said to disrupt the Renaissance harmony of the courtyard at Wawel Castle. Ultimately, these difficulties led to the city authorities withdrawing from the project.