Treasures from Łowicz

From 31 March to 30 August 2026, Wawel Royal Castle presented reliquary crosses, signet rings for sealing letters and the outstanding ring of Wacław Leszczyński, Archbishop of Gniezno and Primate of Poland - artefacts discovered during archaeological excavations in previously untouched crypts of the collegiate church in Łowicz.

Wawel Royal Castle on the exhibition:

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Nicholas in Łowicz, also known as the Mazovian Wawel, is considered one of the most important burial sites of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is home to the earthly remains of the twelve Archbishops of Gniezno - the Primates of Poland, who had resided in Łowicz since the 14th century.

Although the crypts had been opened on numerous occasions in the past, two of them avoided being looted - most likely because their entrances were not marked on the floor. There, archaeologists discovered a collection of unique artefacts that had been placed in the graves of the highest-ranking church officials. The research was led by Dr Monika Kamińska, an art historian and archaeologist who is currently leading the Archaeology Department at Wawel Royal Castle, in partnership with bioarchaeologist Łukasz Majchrzak.

The splendour of past Primates

The artefacts on display were exceptionally rare. Many mementoes of prominent church officials in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth did not survive to the present day - they were looted, scattered or melted down. This made the jewels discovered in the crypt of Łowicz Collegiate Church, then put on display for the very first time, all the more significant.

The ring belonging to Primate Wacław Leszczyński of the Wieniawa coat of arms held a special place among the items on display - the most valuable artefact discovered in the Łowicz crypt, exceptional both for the quality of its craftsmanship and its documented history. The ring is made of gold, decorated with black enamel coloured with lead-based mineral compounds, and set at its centre is a natural 18-carat sapphire from Burma.

After the exhibition

The “Treasures from Łowicz” exhibition ended on 30 August 2026. Wawel Royal Castle is now showing “Lares and Penates. On Building a Sense of Security in Architecture” , Poland’s exhibition at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, until 6 January 2027. From 23 October 2026 the castle will also show “Anna Jagiellon. All the Faces of the Queen” , running until 14 February 2027.

At the opening, castle director Andrzej Betlej said that goldwork of this quality is rarely uncovered in archaeological research, and Dariusz Nowacki, curator of the goldwork collection, described Primate Leszczyński’s ring as the most valuable 17th-century ring preserved in Poland (LoveKrakow.pl, Kinga Poniewozik, 1 April 2026; Wszystko co najważniejsze, 31 March 2026). No attendance figures or awards for the exhibition were found.

For fans of historical collections and precise craftsmanship, two other Krakow exhibitions running this autumn are worth a visit:

• Precious, Most Precious. Works from the Princes Czartoryski Library (Czartoryski Museum, until 25 October 2026) - like the treasures from the Łowicz crypts, these are rare, previously unshown objects from historical collections, here manuscripts and early prints rather than liturgical goldwork.
• Art and Trade. Krakow of Craftsmen (Krzysztofory Palace, until 25 October 2026) - the story of workshops and mastery among Krakow’s goldsmiths and craftsmen, close in spirit to the precision of Primate Leszczyński’s ring.

The exhibition’s description remains on the Wawel Royal Castle website .

Museum profile: Wawel Royal Castle .