It was built in many stages, with Polish and Italian specialists supervising its changes. It was to have both representative and practical functions. Impress, but also facilitate the life of the castle. It could turn into an amphitheatre, but also to be a square serving a court celebration. A thorough reconstruction of the royal seat took place in the years 1501-1536, sponsored by Sigismund the Old himself. The works were directed by two Italians: Francesco Fiorentino and Bartolommeo Berrecci, and after their death by Benedict of Sandomierz. The impressive palace courtyard with light cloisters, supported by slender arcaded columns, is an excellent example of Renaissance architecture, although few original fragments have survived. Cloisters with a very interesting top level facilitated movement between the chambers and individual parts of the castle.