THE HISTORY OF CRACOV
The earliest known settlement on the present site of Cracov was established on Wawel hill, and dates back to the 4th century. Legend attributes the town's establishment to the mythical ruler Krak, who built it above a cave occupied by a ravenous dragon. Firstly, Cracov was the capital of the tribe of Vistulians, probably linked to the larger polity of Greater Moravia. Cracov's first appearance in historical records dates back to the 8th century, and notes that the prince of the Vistulians was baptized. After Greater Moravia was destroyed by the Hungarians, Cracov became part of the kingdom of Bohemia. By the end of the 10th century, the city of Cracov was a major centre of trade and was incorporated into the holdings of the Piast dynasty of Poland. By 1038 Cracov had become large and wealthy enough to be declared the official capital. Several brick buildings were constructed, including a castle, Romanesque churches, a cathedral, a basilica, and the St. Felix and Adaukt Church. It was extremely beautiful but much of it was soon destroyed by two Tartar invasions (1241 and 1242). In 1257, the city was rebuilt, in a form which has remained practically unaltered, and received city rights under Magdeburg Law. Plans for this reconstruction were created on a massive scale: there were to be impressive defensive walls with towers and a moat and most important of all, a central square bigger than any other in all of Europe. Cracov rose to new prominence thanks to Kazimierz the Great, who had an enormous impact on the city during his rule (1333-1370). He built the original Wawel Castle (which was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1495) and established the famous Jagiellonian University in 1364. This became one of Europe's oldest institutions of higher learning. Famous alumni include Copernicus and Pope John Paul II. The Collegium Maius, part of the original University complex, is a must-see for all visitors. Cracov soon began to truly flourish and by the sixteenth century it was experiencing its 'Golden Century'. In 1518, an Italian princess named Bona Sforza came to the city to marry King Zygmunt Stary (the Elder). Soon, Cracov was importing talented men from Renaissance Italy to build impressive new buildings and to create frescos, sculptures and other works of art. In 1569, Poland was united with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which significantly extended the territory of the new nation to the north and east. This meant that the capital was far from the new territories: Warsaw, being much more centrally located, began to be the chosen location for meetings of the Sejm (or parliament). When King Zygmunt II died in 1572, a new king was elected not in Cracov, but in Warsaw. When a fire burnt down a large part of the Cracov Castle in 1595, King Zygmunt III used the tragedy as an excuse to temporarily move the royal entourage to Warsaw. In 1609 he made the move permanent and Warsaw was declared the new capital.

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