Secrets of the Wawel Cathedral is a 4 episode series in which we discover the mysteries of Wawel, a cathedral so beautiful and unique that it has been entered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. When John Paul II was still the Metropolitan of Krakow, he said that it was impossible to enter this cathedral without trembling. Behind its ancient walls, there are stories of love and betrayal, passion and power. This, however, can only be noticed by a few medieval historians compared to detectives. One of them is Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś.
commissioning broadcaster: Polsat
production: Inbornmedia
distrubutor: Espresso Media
EPISODES BREAKDOWN
◾ EPISODE 1 - A MYSTERIOUS MURDER
It's like a story taken straight out of Game of Thrones - but it really happened. One of the most mysterious murders in the history of medieval Europe, which to this day raises doubts and fires the imaginations of successive generations of historians. Two friends - the bishop of Krakow and the king of Poland - suddenly stand against each other. Until finally one murders the other cruelly. Why? Who was the traitor?
An outstanding historian - Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś - like a detective and criminologist examines all traces and evidence left over a thousand years - including the skull of the deceased, which will allow recreating the course of the murder almost second by second. We are the only ones to reach the closely guarded documents and priceless treasures stored in the cathedral archives and treasury, which are unavailable to visitors from all over the world on a daily basis. And at the end of the investigation, the truth turns out to be even more interesting than guesswork.
◾ EPISODE 2 - THE ROYAL CURSE
This story spread to the leading media around the world. What's more - it allowed after many decades to solve the mystery of the famous curse of the pharaoh Tutankhamen. In 1973, after the opening of the Wawel tomb of King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk, a dozen or so specialists examining its interior died within a short time and in strange circumstances. What caused their death? Was it a punishment for violating the king's peace? What was the secret of a sarcophagus that had been sealed for nearly 500 years?
An outstanding medieval historian, Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś examines every detail of the royal tomb - one of the most beautiful works of art in Europe. And it not only solves the riddle of the curse - but also shows that perhaps an even greater mystery is hidden in the paintings in the chapel housing the sarcophagus. These frescoes, unique on a global scale, hide an encrypted blueprint that could change the course of world history.
◾ EPISODE 3 - GIRL ON THE THRONE
Teenage love versus soulless politics. This is not an advertisement for a Hollywood romance, but a story about Jadwiga Anjou, who became the king of Poland when she was ... 10 years old. Exactly - she was a full-fledged king, not the queen of Poland. In the name of dynastic games, she had to give up true love. She died at the age of only 26, but despite her short reign, she changed the history of Europe forever. How could this be achieved by a teenager just turning into a woman? Can historians verify the sincerity of powerful rulers' feelings after several hundred years? How is it possible that Jadwiga, who was accused of serious sins during her lifetime, was proclaimed a saint after five hundred years? In our historical investigation, Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś reaches for documents and items hidden in the cathedral, archives, and treasury - so valuable that they cannot even be valued or insured.
◾ EPISODE 4 - WHAT ARE THE GRAVES SAYING?
The royal tombs at Wawel are a pearl in the crown of European sculpture - no wonder that, together with the entire cathedral, they are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. But there is something else behind the ineffable beauty. Each of these tombs is a story written and encoded in stone about the rulers, their kingdoms, and the history of Europe. A fascinating story about the ruthless mechanisms of power, about the laborious building of state power, about people's dreams and weaknesses. Why was Casimir the Great buried like a saint, even though he was a bigamist and had innocent blood on his hands? How did research on royal skulls recreate the appearance of kings? Was Władysław Jagiełło's sarcophagus carved by the master of the Italian Renaissance, Donatello himself? These questions will be answered by Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś by reading messages encrypted centuries ago and painting colorful portraits of three European rulers.
#cathedral #medievalhistory #history #middleages #religion #Catholicism #church #cathedral #cracow #unesco #grzegorzrys #polishkings #poland #inbornmedia #polsat
12 сен 2024
