The history of Wawel is deeply intertwined with the history of Polish royal dynasties.
In the beginning of XV century Wawel became one of Europe's most important states, due to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth which formed then. This status was only lost when the capital was moved to Warsaw in the XVII century. When Poland lost its political independence in XVIII/XIX centuries Wawel became a symbol of the national identity.

The significance of the Wawel Hill comes the combination of political and religious structures and functions. The Cathedral holds the relics of Saint Stanislaw and Saint Florian and stands directly adjacent to the Royal Castle.

There are some of the oldest extant architectural remains there, as for e.g.the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary, which may be visited today.