Column of Sigismund III Vasa - a monument to King Sigismund III Vasa located on Castle Square in Warsaw. The monument was erected in the years 1643-1644 from the foundation of Władysław IV Vasa according to the design of Augustyn Locci and Constantino Tencalla.
The monument was restored in the years 1885-1887 and 1929-1931. It was destroyed by the Germans in September 1944 and reconstructed in the years 1948-1949.
Erected in 1644, the Column of Sigismund is the oldest secular monument in Warsaw and the first column of a lay person erected in modern Europe; it remained the only monument of this type until 1810, when the Vendôme Column was erected in Paris. The column was erected from the foundation of his son Władysław IV Vasa, who wanted to honor the memory of his father in this way. The column was a monument to royal virtues and illustrated the secular and sacred essence of royal power. Its erection had a political purpose (glorification of the Vasa dynasty and strengthening of the king's power), which is why it was placed on the square in front of the Krakow Gate - at that time the most important communication hub of the capital. On the king's order, the area was cleared of the existing buildings at the gate and city walls, purchased from the Bernardine Sisters.