The Old Town and the Royal Castle in Warsaw [antikvár]

The Old Town and the Royal CastleJan ZachwatowiczI. The first preserved view of Warsaw in the "Constitution of the Wursuw General Purliamcm ISHt"The earliest settlement in the area of present-day Warsaw, uncovered by archaeological excavations, dates back to the period of the Lusatian culture. Even in the early Middle Ages (in the 10th and 11 th centuries), there was a large number of settlements, which were located on the lower, right bank of the Vistula or at lower parts of the left bank. In the 13th century, particular significance was acquired by a settlement called Jazdciw, situated at a ford across the river, and known already as a stronghold. It was not until the end of the 13th century that a settlement and a stronghold arose on the high left bank of the Vistula, at the place where the Old Town and the Castle now stand.The stronghold arose as the seat of a castellan at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, founded by the Mazovian duke, and, in the 14th century, it became the duke's castle. It was situated in the south part of the new settlement area, in the direct vicinity of the urban settlement. At the beginning of the 14th century the town and the stronghold were surrounded by earthen-wooden ramparts with two gates: the Court (Dworzanska, later Cracow) Gate from the south and the Bath (Laziebna, later New Town) Gate from the north.In the 3()'s of the 14th century, the town, already built up and fortified, was vibrant with life. In 1338-1339, the famous court case against the Teutonic Order took place in Warsaw. In the IVIarket Place a masonry town hall arose, masonry houses were erected. Within the ramparts, masonry gates were built. In the second half of the 14th century, the earthen-wooden ramparts were replaced by a defensive wall, which also ran, on the east side, towards the Vistula. The wall had twelve rectangular towers, two gates and two wicket doors from the side of the Vistula. In