Rotunda of the Virgin Mary, Pre-Romanesque church on Wawel Hill, Kraków, Poland.
The Rotunda of the Virgin Mary is a circular stone church on Wawel Hill with a distinctive roof that rises beside Wawel Castle. The building preserves elements from early medieval construction and shows how people began building lasting stone churches during that period.
The building was created in the 11th century and ranks among Poland's earliest Christian structures. It marks the moment when building material shifted from wood to stone, showing how the newly formed Polish church solidified its power through lasting structures.
The chapel displays early medieval paintings on its walls that reflect the religious art of that time. Visitors can observe how artists used images to teach their faith to people who could not read.
The building sits on the Wawel grounds and is reached on foot through the castle courtyards. Visitors should know that opening hours and accessibility are coordinated with main Wawel visitor information.
Its circular shape stood apart from the rectangular churches being built everywhere at that time. This rare floor plan pattern appears in only a few surviving buildings from that period in the region.
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