Court Hall (Grand Refectory)

Court Hall (Grand Refectory)
The biggest chamber of the castle, occupies the whole wing of the castle (length 27 m, width 8,8 m, height 10 m). The hall is covered by six span stellar vaults with a central rib. The ribs are supported by corbels, the corbels in the corners, near the entrance to the hall, have animal shapes – they show lioness with her offspring and pelican. Originally, this hall was intended for special occasions like: Warmia’s regional diet or the bishop’s appearance in spiritual matters. In the end of XV c. the so called “Sybille’s room” was budgeted in the narrow part on the north side of the Hall. In the XVI c. was budgeted another one chamber. Original Court Hall decor from the end XIV c. has been restored in 1930–1933. Small reconstruction required the gothic polychrome in chessboard shape. In a good condition stayed polychrome with the Coronation of Our Lady from 1380. In a north window alcove stayed fragments of polychrome and Saint Paul’s figure (XV c.) and plant ornaments with bishop’s Anton John Szembek coat-of-arms (beginning of XVIII c.). Warmia’s bishops coat-of-arms gallery placed under the vault comes from the time of bishop John Stefan Wydżga (1659–1679), the rest coat-of-arms were painted in 1930.