Warsaw: Have a rest [PARKS AND GARDENS]
Palace in Wilanów: rose garden, Warsaw / Bartosz Bobkowski / Agencja Gazeta
Royal Palace in Wilanów
This building, which has had great luck, survived the war as well as the partitions of Poland and is the only historical building of its kind in Warsaw in its original state.
The baroque Royal Palace, designed by one of the greatest architects of the 18th century, Augustyn Locci, was built from 1677?1696 for King Jan III Sobieski. Originally it was meant to be a 'normal' aristocratic residence in a style similar to that of a nobleman's manor house with alcoves. As time went on and as Jan III Sobieski became more successful, the palace was extended and enriched with new rooms, wings and sectors.
After the death of Jan III Sobieski in 1696, royal princes inherited the building.It was then sold and in 1720 it became the residence of the greatest aristocratic families in Poland in turn. First the Sieniawski family lived here, then the Czartoryskis, Potockis, Lubomirskis and Branickis. For 3 years (1730?33) King August II The Strong resided here. In 1805 the owner of the palace, Stanisław Kostka Potocki, opened in one part of the building one of the first museums in Poland which was accessible to the wider public. Large collections of Polish and oriental art were put on show. A separate part of the museum was dedicated to golden age of the Republic and the amazing feats of King Jan III Sobieski. Later owners introduced their own architectural improvements and shaped the palace according to the latest trends. All of these modernisations have made Wilanów Palace one of the most impressive palaces in Poland. From an architectural point of view it is an effective marriage of European art with old-fashioned Polish traditions. The interior decorations strongly refer to ancient style and tell a tale of the greatness of the Sobieski family and the military feats of King Jan III Sobieski. The stucco work and most of the pieces of art were created by internationally famous artists ? Józef Szymon Belotti, Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter, Michelangelo Palloni, Claude Callot or Johann Samuel Mock.
The richly decorated interior showcases 3 architectural styles. The Royal apartments, in the oldest part of the palace, are furnished in a late baroque style and are situated in the main part of the building. The south wing is 18th century in style. The north wing has rooms like the Crimson Room, the Etruski Parlour, the Lapidarium and the Parlour before the Gallery which were furnished in the times of the Potockis, in the 19th century and are part of the museum founded by Stanisław Kostka Potocki. On the 1st floor we can have a look round the Polish Portrait Gallery of the 16th ?19th centuries, where there is a large collection of the portraits of monarchs, barons and representatives of the Polish aristocracy. Don't miss the characteristic coffin portraits from the Sarmatism period.
The palace is impressively 'framed' by the Wilanów Gardens. The park has 2 levels and is a clever and harmonious connection of several styles. The baroque garden, the romantic Anglo-Chinese park, the scenic English park and the neo-renaissance garden are all worthy of admiration. To the east the garden picturesquely descends to a lake and to the south there is a beautiful stream with a small waterfall, tasteful sculptures, fountains and wonderful landscape architecture. Many interesting cultural events takes place in the park, the most popular being the Royal Summer Concerts in the Rose Garden and the International Summer Academy of Early Music.