In 1622 Queen Constance of Austria (1588-1631), second wife of Sigismund III Vasa (1566-1632), sent a gift to the sons of his younger sister, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. The sons of Maria Magdalena of Austria (1589-1631) were presented with a set of colourful costumes - żupan robe, delia coat and other necessary utensils of a Polish noble, including pernach mace and zygmuntówka sabre, among others (compare "Moda alla polacca w XVII-wiecznej Europie" by Jacek Żukowski). Their new exotic attires were captured in a series of portraits by the Medici family's court portraitist, the Flemish painter Justus Sustermans (1597-1681), known in Italy as Giusto Suttermans, at least one of which was undoubtedly sent to Warsaw in gratitude to Queen of Poland.

The portrait in the collection of Flint Institute of Arts in Michigan (oil on canvas, 143.8 x 118.3 cm, inv. 1965.15) depicting Maria Magdalena with her son Ferdinando de' Medici (1610-1670) in Polish costume is an exact copy of a painting preserved in the Uffizi Gallery in Florance (oil on canvas, 144 x 118, inv. 1890, 2246). It is possible that it was in the possession of the Polish Vasas and was taken by John II Casimir Vasa to France after his abdication in 1668. The painting now in the Uffizi was delivered by the artist to the Guardaroba Medicea on February 15, 1623 at the same time as that of Maria Magdalena's husband Cosimo II (inv. 1890, 2245), painted after other effigies, since the Grand Duke died in 1621. There is also a full-length version in Vienna (Kunsthistorisches Museum, oil on canvas, 200 x 101 cm, inv. GG 6464), undoubtedly offered to the Habsburg relatives of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany. 

The portrait of Leopoldo de' Medici (1617-1675) in polacchino, wearing a white żupan, was also painted in the early 1620s, as the reverse of the painting bears the inscription: Principe Leopoldo Medici d'anno 4, mesi 4, which dates it to March 1622 (Uffizi, oil on canvas, 172 x 115.5 cm, inv. 1890, 3660). The painting in Konopiště Castle, depicting a Medici prince on horseback, dressed in a similar costume (oil on canvas, 258 x 246 cm, inv. K 13323, earlier 18125), was first thought to depict Prince Sigismund Casimir Vasa (1640-1647), son of Ladislaus IV Vasa (1595-1648) and Cecilia Renata of Austria (1611-1644), and later to be a portrait of Ferdinando de' Medici (after "Polski strój Medyceusza" by Magdalena Piwocka, p. 232). It is now believed to depict Leopoldo de' Medici, the future cardinal, based on a will by Roberto degli Obizzi (1566-1647) listing several paintings from his collection in Ferrara and at a residence not far from Modena, called La Quiete. An equestrian portrait was described as depicting "Prince Leopoldo on horseback at the age of seven, dressed in the Polish manner" (principe Leopoldo a cavallo d'età di sette anni vestito alla pollacca, after "Ritratti dei Medici dal Catajo: per la storia dei rapporti tra i Granduchi di Toscana e gli Obizzi" by Gianluca Tormen, p. 125). The white and crimson colors of Leopoldo's garment most likely also refer to Poland. 

Until the age of five, the little Medici were dressed exclusively in what were called ungherine or zimarrine, inspired by Hungarian-Polish fashion. The Guardaroba Medicea Archives list their colors and fabrics. Mentions of "Polish-style clothing" (vesti alla polacca) in the Medici inventories are frequent between 1618 and 1623-1624. For example for Leopoldo, three black Polish costumes made of tabi, ermesino, and velvet a opera pichola are mentioned. Even the court dwarves were outfitted with them by the same tailor: the "red Polish-style costume" (vestito di rosso alla Pollacca) was made for the dwarf Janni Pedina (after "I Principi bambini: abbigliamento e infanzia nel Seicento ...", ed. Kristen Aschengreen Piacenti, Silvia Meloni Trkulja, Roberta Orsi Landini, p. 53). It is quite possible that the portrait of a dwarf with a dog, preserved in the Pitti Palace in Florence, is a likeness of Janni. The model was depicted in a crimson żupan and holding a pernach mace. The painting is generally dated to the 1620s (oil on canvas, 174 x 115 cm, inv. 1890, 2453). It is also possible that the dwarf or his costume was sent from Constance of Austria to her sister, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as since the second quarter of the 16th century, dwarves from Poland were frequently sent to other European courts.

Portrait of Maria Magdalena of Austria (1589-1631), Grand Duchess of Tuscany with her son Ferdinando de' Medici (1610-1670) in Polish costume by Justus Sustermans, ca. 1622, Flint Institute of Arts.

​Portrait of Maria Magdalena of Austria (1589-1631), Grand Duchess of Tuscany with her son Ferdinando de' Medici (1610-1670) in Polish costume by Justus Sustermans, ca. 1622, Uffizi Gallery in Florance.

​Portrait of Maria Magdalena of Austria (1589-1631), Grand Duchess of Tuscany with her son Ferdinando de' Medici (1610-1670) in Polish costume by workshop of Justus Sustermans, after 1622, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

Portrait of Leopoldo de' Medici (1617-1675) in Polish costume holding a pernach mace by Justus Sustermans, ca. 1622, Uffizi Gallery.

Equestrian portrait of Leopoldo de' Medici (1617-1675) in Polish costume with a sabre by Justus Sustermans, ca. 1622, Konopiště Castle.

Portrait of a dwarf in Polish costume holding a pernach mace, possibly Janni Pedina, and a dog by a Florentine painter, 1620s, Pitti Palace in Florence. 

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In the beginning of the 17th century the medieval abode of the Dukes of Masovia was largely extended to house the parliament of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, offices and court of the Vasas. The Italian architects Giovanni Trevano, Giacomo Rodondo, Paolo de la Corte and Mateo Castello constructed a Mannerist-early Baroque five-sided palace between 1598-1619. In 1621-1627, with the threat of Ottoman invasion, the palace was fortified with a curtain wall from the Vistula according to Italian concept of palazzo in fortezza (meaning in Italian, "a palace in a fortress"). Between 1634 and 1637 a large hall was constructed in upper parts of the southern wing to house opera hall of King Ladislaus IV and in 1637 the staircase tower was largely remodelled (Ladislaus' Tower). In 1643 the Prince-Cardinal Charles Ferdinand Vasa's Palace was erected on the northern bastion of the Castle's curtain wall and in 1644 a new gate (Saint John's Gate) and the Sigismund Column were erected by royal architect Constantino Tencalla in Baroque style.

During the so-called Deluge of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (invasion of allied forces of Sweden from north, Brandenburg from west, Transilvania from south and Muscovy from East), the castle was devastated in three occupations by foreign forces between 1655-1656 (the last was Transilvanian occupation). All valuables, including marble pavements, chimneys and window sills were shipped to Sweden, while the interiors were turned into stables and a hospital.

(1) Detail of the Plan of Warsaw in 1656 by Nicolas Pérelle after Erik Dahlbergh, printed in 1696. The fortifications of the Royal Castle in Warsaw were built in the years 1596-1627 giving the structure the more modern appearance according to principles of the Old Italian School (circle of Antonio da Sangallo). They consisted of a 162-metre-long curtain wall flanked by bastions on either side. Two shorter walls connected the bastions with the Castle. The wall rose at least 6.70 metres above the ground level. The fortifications were made of granite rocks, and due to the instability of the terrain, oak piles were also driven into the ground, the basic material for the surface construction was limestone surmounted with bricks. The remnants of the fortifications were absorbed by subsequent buildings in the 18th-century.

Map legend

• 2. Old Town Hall at the Main Market Square
• 3. Saint John's Cathedral
• 4. Royal Castle
• 5. Courtyard before the castle with Baroque Saint John's Gate
• 6. Sigismund Column
• 7. Medieval Cracow's Gate.

(2) Sigismund III Vasa on catafalque by Christian Melich, 1633, Wawel Royal Castle.

(3-4) The Ladislaus Tower of the Castle, 1637.

Tiles from the excavations in the Royal Castle's garden, 1630s:

(5) Tile with eagles from a stove,

(6) Stove tile with a lion or a griffon,
​
(7) Dutch tile with a soldier.

(1-2) Portrait of Sigismund III Vasa and Constance of Austria by Philipp Holbein II or workshop, ca. 1625, Royal Castle in Warsaw.

​​(3) Portrait of Philip III of Spain by Andrés López Polanco, ca. 1617, Skokloster Castle, possibly from the collection of Sigismund III Vasa. In 1615 Queen Constance of Austria, Sigismund's second wife, ordered the Commonwealth's ambassador in Spain to ask for the portraits of the members of the Spanish Royal family. Her elder sister Margaret of Austria, was a wife of King Philip III of Spain. Since the new Holy Roman Emperor, Matthias, resided more frequently in Vienna then in Prague from 1612, the portraits of Spanish Habsburgs would be sent to Vienna after this date, consequently it is more probable that the Philip III's portrait was captured by Swedish forces in Warsaw and not in Prague.

​(4-5) Portraits of two sisters, daughters of Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria: Empress Maria Anna of Spain by Frans Luycx, ca. 1638 and Anne of Austria, Queen of France by Charles Beaubrun, ca. 1645. Both portraits were given to the Visitationist Monastery in Warsaw by John II Casimir Vasa in September 1668 and by most accounts adorned Castle walls.

​(6) Portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga (1630-1686) by Frans Luycx, ca. 1651, Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. A portrait of a relative to Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga and a wife of Emperor Ferdinand III, cousin of John II Casimir Vasa was sent to Warsaw and was captured by Swedes in 1655 (from the collection of Gripsholm Castle).

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