Casimir the Great and the ruins of his fortified castles

History becomes even more fascinating when you can actually SEE it. The great Polish king Kazimierz III Wielki (Kazimierz the Great) can be well remembered not only for contributing to the greatness of the Polish kingdom by doubling its size, contributing to the regulated growth of towns and villages or founding the Kraków Academy in 1364, but also for building a whole group of fortified castles to defend its borders from enemies. It is the ruins of these castles, standing proudly on top of rocky hills among leafy green valleys that excite the imagination and bring back times of Kazimierz III Wielki with such powerful symbols of his reign. Away from the bustle of modern towns and criss-crossing motorways, the castles are situated along the magical route of the Eagle’s Nests Way. A visit to this part of Poland will stun you with images of very different by-gone centuries.

The convention of European monarchs in 1364

Kazimierz Wielki inherited the kingdom from his father Władysław Łokietek and was crowned in Kraków in the Wawel Cathedral in 1333, but it was by no means an easy beginning to a very busy royal career. He had to cope with the in-fighting of local princes, outside enemies ready to seize parts of his land, not to mention the mighty Teutonic Knights who held the land in the north-west called Pomorze and who were very hungry for more. Finally, he needed to earn his name as a king among the great European dynasties, such as the Andegaven dynasty in Hungary and the Luxemburg  dynasty of Emperor Charles IV, King of Germany and Bohemia. In 1364 Kazimierz Wielki organized a great convention of European royals in Kraków to celebrate a newly achieved peace agreement and also the wedding of his granddaughter to Charles IV Luxembourg. Apart from Emperor Charles IV (the greatest guest of honour), the event was attended by the king of Hungary, the king of Denmark, the king of Cyprus and many prominent European princes. The entertainment for these prominent guests included a famously opulent feast in the home of the famous Kraków townsman, Mikołaj Wierzynek, and a magnificent tournament  of knights. Kazimierz Wielki managed to show how he had left the divided country of his predecessors far behind him and how firmly he had placed Poland on the map of Europe.

Why Casimir was called the ‘Great’

Finally, one needs to add that the tradition of excellent food and fine dining remained an important Polish custom for the next 650 years. You can sample famous Polish dishes proudly served in the Wierzynek Restaurant (situated in Kraków in one of the largest medieval markets) in memory of that historical event and of Kazimierz Wielki himself. After all, it is not without reason that Kazimierz had been given the name ‘Wielki’ i.e. ‘Great’. He had overseen an amazing growth of Polish towns and villages, reformed the legal system, welcomed new citizens from abroad, brought education to its own citizens and contributed considerably to the prosperity of the country. Every Polish child at school has learnt that Kazimierz, ‘found Poland made of wood and left it made of brick.’ Perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration for there were still a lot of wooden buildings in medieval Poland, but as the last king of the Piast dynasty, he has been well remembered by all the generations to come.

The last king of the Piast dynasty

Sadly, Kazimierz was the last king of the Piast dynasty for he did not have a son to inherit his throne. His closest male relative was the son of his sister, Elżbieta who had been married to the Hungarian King, Ludwik Andegaweński or Louis of Hungary. It is he who became the next king of Poland.

Illustrations:

Marcello Bacciarelli, Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir the Great), between 1768 and 1771

Jan Matejko, , Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir the Great), circa 1893

Leopold Löffler, , Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir the Great), 1864

Raphael Hadziewicz, , Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir the Great)grants privileges to peasants, 1834

Photo: Bornholm (2023), Tombstone of King , Kazimierz III Wielki (Casimir the Great)