Editing Royal Castle, Warsaw (section)

=== Vasa period and the Deluge ===
[[File:Zamek Królewski w Warszawie - 01.jpg|thumb|[[Władysław IV|Władysław]]'s Tower]]
[[File:Opera Hall Castle Warsaw.jpg|thumb|Władysław's Opera Hall]]
[[File:The Royal Castle 1, Warsaw.jpg|thumb|left|The Royal Castle in 1656]]

The next alterations to the castle were made in the reign of [[Sigismund III Vasa]], who transferred the royal residence from [[Kraków]] to [[Warsaw]].<ref name="Wrede1"/> In 1598–1619, the castle was enlarged. [[Giovanni Trevano]] was in charge of the reconstruction.<ref name="Wrede1"/> His plans were probably amended by the Venetian architect [[Vincenzo Scamozzi]].<ref name="perelki" />

Between 1601 and 1603, Giacomo Rodondo<ref name="Wrede1"/> finished the new northern wing. From 1602 Paolo del Corte<ref name="Wrede1"/> was doing stonework. Later after 1614, when Matteo Castelli<ref name="Wrede1"/> took the lead, the western wing was built (from today's [[Castle Square, Warsaw|Plac Zamkowy]] side) as chancelleries and a marshals office.<ref name="dziedzictwo" /> The southern wing was built at the end. In that way, five-wings in a [[Mannerist architecture and sculpture in Poland|mannerist]]-early baroque style were built. In 1619, the New Royal Tower ({{langx|la|Nova Turris Regia}}), also called Sigismund's Tower, was finished. It was 60 meters high and was placed in the middle of a newly built west castle 90 meters in length. At the top of the tower, a clock with gilded hands and copper face was placed. The new tower's spire was 13 meters high and had glided knobs and a copper flag at the top.

On 29 October 1611 in the Senator's Chamber, Tsar [[Vasili IV of Russia]], who had been captured by the hetman [[Stanisław Żółkiewski]], paid homage to the Polish king Sigismund III Vasa.

Sigismund III and his successors of the [[House of Vasa|Vasa dynasty]] — [[Władysław IV Vasa]] and [[John II Casimir Vasa]] — collected many rich works of art in the castle, such as oriental fabrics, tapestries, and numerous paintings by such famous artists as [[Titian]], [[Paolo Veronese|Veronese]], [[Jacopo Bassano|Jacopo]] and [[Leandro Bassano]], [[Tintoretto]], [[Palma il Giovane]], [[Antonio Vassilacchi]], [[Tommaso Dolabella]], [[Guercino]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Guido Reni]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Joseph Heintz the Elder]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Bartholomeus Spranger]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Roelant Savery]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Rembrandt]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Pieter Soutman]], [[Peter Danckerts de Rij]], [[Peter Paul Rubens]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Jan Brueghel the Elder]],<ref name=Tarandaite/> [[Daniel Seghers]], [[Georg Daniel Schultz]] and sculptures by [[Giambologna]], [[Giovanni Francesco Susini]] and [[Adriaen de Vries]]. These splendid works of art were either destroyed or plundered during the invasions of Poland by Sweden and Russia during the [[Deluge (history)|Deluge]], in 1655–1657.<ref name="Wrede1"/> The Swedes took all the priceless pictures, furniture, tapestries, the royal library, the crown archive, numerous sculptures, whole floors and royal flags.<ref name="dziedzictwo" /> In the castle they had a military ''Lazareth'' field hospital, which additionally contributed to the devastation of the buildings.<ref name="Wrede1"/> A few months later armies destroyed the rest, plundering most of the copper elements and tearing up the rest of castle's floor.<ref name="Wrede1"/>

The majority of the preserved castle furnishings from the Vasa period found their place in the collection of the [[Visitationist Church|Visitationist Monastery]] in Warsaw as donations from the last Vasa, John II Casimir and his French-born wife [[Marie Louise Gonzaga]].<ref name=Fryz/>

In 1628, the first [[Polish opera]] – ''Galatea'', was staged at the Castle. The great opera hall (double-storied, over 50&nbsp;m long), which existed at the Royal Castle,<ref name="Wrede1"/> was demolished by Swedes and Germans and rebuilt in the 1660s by King John II Casimir.<ref name="opera" />