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The 16th century is often referred to in Poland as the “golden age”. It was the time of reign of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the time of stabilisation, economic growth and blooming of culture and science. The greatest prosperity occurred during the reign of Sigismund I the Old and Sigismund II Augustus. The first one married Italian princess Bona Sforza, and consequently brought to his court architects and artists from Italy.  He brought not only artists, but also ready works of art. A special Renaissance style called Sigismund’s style developed in Poland thank to it. Its examples are remaking of the Royal Wawel Castle and the Sigismund's Chapel. The son of Sigismund I the Old was also surrounded by artists and eminent people. He ordered tapestriestapestriestapestries, which he then brought to Poland. During his reign, the Krakow Cloth Hall with characteristic arcadeArcadearcade was built. Renaissance artists had powerful patrons. It gave birth to patronagePatronagepatronage. Thanks to the financial support of the Jagiellonian dynasty kings, Krakow was the most important centre of culture and art. It the place where many branches of science developed at the Jagiellonian University (the University of Krakow). Thanks to Renaissance writers, the Polish language flourished. This time is associated with famous sentence by Mikołaj Rej “...Polacy nie gęsi, iż swój język mają” (Eng.: “Poles are no geese – they have a tongue of their own”). Rich Polish youth travelled across Western European countries, studies at their universities, and broadened their knowledge getting acquainted with foreign cultures and customs. The University of Krakow was also attended by students from Germany, Hungary or Bohemia. It was the time of the apogee of the development in mathematics, astronomy and geography in Poland. The most renowned scientist of the golden age was Nicolaus Copernicus. He proved his work “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres” that Earth was circling around the Sun. Another scientist enjoying fame was Maciej of Miechów who published his work describing the geography of Eastern Europe entitled “Treatise on the Two Sarmatias – Asiatic and European”. It was the time of development of political writing. The most eminent publicist was Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, who distinguished himself with his work “On the Improvement of the Commonwealth”. He described in it the situation of the Polish state, pointing out the inequality of the estates, the deterioration of the situation of peasants, or the relaxation of manners. Another writer, Stanisław Orzechowski, was in turn the defender of the nobles' democracy. He believed that the system of the Commonwealth did not require any improvements, and freedom of the nobles was a gift from God. During RenaissanceRenaissanceRenaissance, the oratoryOratoryoratory art became popular and developed in two directions – preaching, and secular (political) speeches. Rhetoric became one of the core classes in Polish education.

Task 2

What role did the Jagiellonian University play in the Renaissance?

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Fotografia barwna przedstawiająca Collegium Novum Akademii Krakowskiej. Budynek zbudowany jest z czerwonej cegły. Ma duże zdobione okna i łuki. Przed budynkiem stoi grupa studentów.

Keywords

golden age, Jagiellonian dynasty, Renaissance, Rhetoric

Glossary