The John Paul II Cathedral Museum is a museum in Kraków, Poland. It is situated on Wawel Hill, between the Vasa Gate and the former seat of the Castle Seminary, in the Cathedral House, which is composed of two 14th-century buildings.

History

In 1906, Cardinal Jan Puzyna established the diocesan museum in the buildings. In 1975, cardinal Karol Wojtyla, future Pope John Paul II, decided to transform it into a cathedral museum, where objects from the Wawel Cathedral would be kept and exposed. On 28 September 1978, on the 20th anniversary of the day he was anointed as bishop, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła ceremonially opened and blessed the Wawel Cathedral Museum, which was to be his last official duty at Wawel before he became pope.

Exposition

The cathedral museum exhibition presents the most precious objects which were kept in the cathedral treasury: the oldest Polish regalia, handicraft, clothes, paintings and sculptures, as well as the memorabilia related to Pope John Paul II. The exhibits are organized according to their historical and artistic value, and exhibited in four rooms: * Royal Room - houses the regalia and gifts of the

Polish monarchs Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16t ...

for the cathedral: St Maurice's spear, the coronation mantle of king

Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch ...

, the coronation sword of king Augustus III, the Golden Rose of queen

Maria Josepha Maria Josepha of Austria (Maria Josepha Benedikta Antonia Theresia Xaveria Philippine, pl, Maria Józefa; 8 December 1699 – 17 November 1757) was the Queen of Poland and Electress of Saxony by marriage to Augustus III. From 1711 to 1717, she ...

, the crown, sceptre and orb of king Casimir IV, the rationale of bishops of Kraków. * Cathedral Threasury Room (11th – 16th century) - houses the collection of objects donated to the cathedral by kings, bishops and aristocrats: the silver box (known as a “Saracene-Sicilian case”), the chasuble donated by Cracow Voivode, Piotr Kmita, objects found in the grave of bishop Maurus (silver chalice and patena, a golden ring, a bone bead and a lead tablet), Hedwig glass as well as the slabs from an 11th-century stone building. * Cathedral Threasury Room (17th – 20th century) –

monstrance A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic Sa ...

of bishop

Stanisław Dąmbski Stanisław Kazimierz Dąmbski (or Dąbski) (born about 1638, died 15 December 1700 in Kraków), was a politically powerful Polish prelate and king-maker. He was in turn, bishop of Chełm, Łuck, Płock, Kujawy and finally, bishop of Krakow. Life ...

, mitre of Bishop Andrzej Lipski, the collection of chalices of bishops of Kraków, crosier of Bishop Adam Stefan Sapieha, sabre, portrait and

orders Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

of Prince Józef Poniatowski. * Papal Room – contains the memorabilia related to Pope John Paul II: papal clothes (

cassock The cassock or soutane is a Christian clerical clothing coat used by the clergy and male religious of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, in addition to some clergy in certain Protestant denomi ...

biretta The biretta ( la, biretum, birretum) is a square cap with three or four peaks or horns, sometimes surmounted by a tuft. Traditionally the three-peaked biretta is worn by Catholic clergy and some Anglican and Lutheran clergy. A four-peaked bire ...

, zucchetto and sash), mitre handed over to the cathedral during the papal visit in Poland, armchair used by John Paul II and Benedict XVI during their visits in the cathedral, goblet made of coconut and silver (presented to the Museum by cardinal Wojtyla, on its opening day).

External links

The John Paul II Wawel Cathedral Museum
{{Coord, 50, 03, 17, N, 19, 56, 05, E, region:PL_type:city_source:kolossus-plwiki, display=title Wawel Museums in Kraków Museums established in 1978 Art museums and galleries in Poland Religious museums in Poland 1978 establishments in Poland