In the symbolic mausoleum of King Vladyslaw III Yagello, built in 1935 you can see the sarcophagus of the King – a stone replica of the bronze original, situated in the palace of Wawel in the city of Krakov, Poland.

The mausoleum’s building was built in one of the Thracian mounds on the territory of the park, over a Thracian tomb from IV c. BC.

The stone spear of the sarcophagus of Vladislav is a work of the sculptor Antoni Madeisky and was created in Rome in 1904.

In the mausoleum a king’s funeral has not been done because, according to the Turkish chroniclers, after the battle on 10th November 1444 , the king’s head was put in a leather bag with bee honey for conservation and taken away to Asia Minor, to the Moslim centre Bursa where it was impaled on a spear once again and there was organized a festal procession in honour of the victory at Varna.

Presumably the king’s body , together with the bodies of the other killed, was thrown in Varna Lakes.

There exists a legend, according to which king Wladyslaw remained alive and to his shame after the battle of Varna he went to Salamanka Island, where he became a recluse. He was recognized by a monk on his 6 toes. Another legend tells that after the battle King Wladyslaw settled in Portuguese Madeira. There he obtained a knight title, married a local noble woman and had two children.

If you would like to read about the legends of the mysterious knight Wladislaw, click here.