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ART FROM THE RENASCENCE monarchy came as a heritage from his mother, was a laureate baroque artist, both painter and goldsmith, and alchemist too (like his contemporary on the Imperial throne, Rudolf II of Habsburg): it was one of his alchemistic experiments that occasioned the great fire which again destroyed part of the castle, viz., its northern wing. His best architects, Jenrik and Gian Maria Bernardone of Milan, rebuilt that northern wing in the years 1596-1609, and erected a new tower by the side of the old "Hen-foot." But when Sigismund transferred his residence to Warsaw, the slow decay of the castle began, which went on for centuries. Only in 1905 the great restoration was begun on the plans of the present Wawel architect, Sigismund Hendel. As stated above, part of it is to serve as occasional residence for the Emperor, part to contain the National Museum.

Berecci had, in 1517, submitted to the king the plans for the Sigismund Chapel, and it was not long before the foundationstone was laid (May 27, 1519). The architect's assistants were two Italian sculptors: John Cini of Siena and Antonio da Fiesole. Besides, we learn from records in the archives that the royal sculptors Filippo da Fiesole, Nicolo Castiglione, and Guglielmo Fiorentino took part in the adornment of this magnificent structure. Antonio da Fiesole was a pupil of Andrea Sansovino. The grand work of all these artists is a perfect gem among the masterpieces of Renascence art on our side of the Alps. Outwardly, the Sigismund Chapel exhibits a square substructure without windows; the moulding of the walls by means of pilasters is exquisitely elegant and neat. On the architrave appears the date, 1520. On one of the spaces between the pilasters there is an escutcheon with the eagle of the realm and the initials of the royal founder. Above the square substructure there rises an octagonal tholobate, with windows surmounted by round arches and flanked by ornamental pilasters. On this reposes a gilt, scalloped cupola, and above it, a lantern terminating in a ball, on the top of which an Italian putto is seated, with globe and sceptre in his hands. The interior of the chapel, rich in decoration, is in accord with the outside; it is also