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The splendid Castle Square is situated in the medieval Old Town, famous for its excellent architecture and charming narrow streets. The square is always crowded - it is a favorite walking place for the citizens and the obligatory part of the sightseeing tours around the Old Town for tourists. The Castle Square is a place where different festivals and grandiose concerts are regularly organized. The Square took its present shape in the 19th century when the fortified walls that had surrounded the town since the 14th century were demolished. Some remains of the city walls still can be seen on the square.
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The main landmark of the square is the Royal Castle dating back to the 14th century. Originally Gothic in style it was a wooden fortress of Mazovian dukes. Later it was rebuilt in brick. When the Polish capital was moved from Krakow to Warsaw, it became the royal residence and the seat of legislative and executive power. The first king who lived in the castle Sigismundus III decided to rebuild the castle in Baroque style. The reconstruction works under the guidance of the royal architect Jan Trevano went on up to the beginning of the 17th century. As a result, a huge five-wing early Baroque construction was erected with an inner yard and a tall clock-tower. In this regard, the building is unique while it represents the very rare style of early Baroque with decently decorated exterior but tremendous interior.
In the 18th century, the north-eastern wing of the castle was reconstructed in a new late Baroque style for King Augustus III according to Gaetano Chiaveri's design. In 1918, it became the residence of the President of the Republic. During World War II the Royal Castle was blown up by the Nazis as well as 85 % of the buildings of the city. It took several decades of painstaking work to restore the castle from a pile of rubble and make it look exactly like the original. The reconstruction was finished only in the middle of the 80s. But it is really worth it, as now the luxurious castle is a pride of Warsaw. The Royal Castle hosts a museum where carefully recreated interiors of that time are represented and the impressive art collection is treasured. The permanent exhibition includes the Courtier Rooms, the Sejm Hall and the Senate Hall, the Crown Prince Rooms and the Royal Apartment. Annually the castle hosts court music concerts and theater performances reviving the culture of Poland of the 18 19th centuries.
In the middle of the Castle Square stands the Column of King Sigismundus III Waza, the most popular after the Mermaid statue monument in Warsaw. It was erected in 1643-1644 by initiative of king Wladyslaw IV (son of king Sigismundus III Waza) and is considered to be one of the oldest monuments in Poland. The history of the column had started much earlier than it was erected. The idea of the column belonged to King Sigismundus III, who thus wanted to immortalize his victory over the rebels dissatisfied with the king's policy. The first column was twice taller than the present one and split up when it was transported. Long after it lay in a quarry until sculptor Clement Molli found it and created a new monument with the figure of the king on the top. A column is 20 meter-high, and the statue is 2,75 meter-high. The king holds the sword in one hand and the cross in the other, as he was a zealous Catholic. There is a legend that when the sword touches the base of the statue the end of the world will come.
The Castle Square is a starting point of the so called Royal Way (Trakt Krolewski) a route which led from the Royal Castle to Lazienki Palace, the Royal Summer residence, and went on to Wilanow, the park and palace complex which served as the royal residence for King Jan III Sobieski.
