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The Royal Castle in Warsaw ( pl, Zamek Królewski w Warszawie) is a state museum and a national historical monument, which formerly served as the official royal residence of several Polish monarchs. The personal offices of the king and the administrative offices of the royal court were located in the Castle from the 16th century until the final partition of Poland in 1795. Situated in the
Castle Square Castle Square may refer to: *Castle Square, Sheffield, England *Castle Square, Warsaw Castle Square ( pl, plac Zamkowy) is a historic square in front of the Royal Castle – the former official residence of Polish monarchs – located in Wars ...
, at the entrance to the
Warsaw Old Town Warsaw Old Town ( pl, Stare Miasto, italic=yes and colloquially as ''Starówka'') is the oldest part of Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. It is bounded by the ''Wybrzeże Gdańskie'' (Gdańsk Boulevards), along with the bank of the Vistula riv ...
, the Royal Castle holds a significant collection of Polish and European art and is the 16th most visited art museum in the world with over 1.1 million visitors in 2021. The Royal Castle witnessed many notable events in Poland's history; the Constitution of 3 May 1791, first of its type in Europe and the world's second-oldest codified national constitution, was drafted here by the Four-Year Parliament. The edifice was redesigned into a neoclassical style following the partitions of Poland. Under the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939), it was the seat of the Polish head of state and president. The
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
brought complete destruction to the building; in September 1939 it was targeted and ignited by Luftwaffe fighter aircraft, and then detonated by the Nazis after the failed Warsaw Uprising in 1944. In 1965, the surviving wall fragments, cellars, the adjacent Copper-Roof Palace and the Kubicki Arcades were registered as historical monuments. Reconstruction was carried out in the years 1971–1984, during which it regained its original 17th century appearance. In 1980, the Royal Castle and surrounding Old Town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


History


Overview

The history of the castle dates back to the 14th century when the first Castle Tower was constructed and the fortified complex was initially used as the residence of the Masovian dukes. In the early 1600s, it was designated to replace
Wawel Castle The Wawel Royal Castle (; ''Zamek Królewski na Wawelu'') and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established ...
in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
as the seat of the King, Parliament (Chamber of Deputies and Senate), and the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
. The medieval
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
structure was remodelled into Italian mannerism by architects Matteo Castelli and
Giovanni Battista Trevano Giovanni Battista Trevano (born in Lugano, Switzerland, died 1644 in Krakow, Poland) was an Italian-speaking architect who worked in Poland as royal architect for King Sigismund III Vasa, of the Vasa dynasty, which ruled Poland at the time. ...
. The Baroque easternmost wing was designed by
Gaetano Chiaveri Gaetano Chiaveri ( in Rome – 5 March 1770) was an Italian architect and master builder, most notable for his work as part of the second phase of the Dresden Baroque. His works include the Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains t ...
and completed in 1747.


Castle in the Middle Ages

In 1339 the Papal Legate in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
heard a case brought by the King of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, Casimir III the Great, against the German Teutonic Order. He claimed that they had illegally seized a slice of Polish territory —
Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
and Kuyavia regions. The documents in this case are the earliest written testimony to the existence of
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
. At that time a fortified town surrounded by earthen and wooden ramparts, and situated where the Royal Castle now stands, it was the seat of Trojden, Duke of Masovia. At the end of the 13th century, during the Duke Conrad's rule, the wooden-earthen gord called "Small Manor" ( la, Curia Minor) was erected. The next duke, Casimir I, decided to build the Great Tower ( la, Turris Magna), possibly one of the first brick building in Warsaw. In the middle of the 14th century the Castle Tower was built and its remains up to the first storey have survived to this day. During the reign over Masovia by Duke Janusz I the Elder, the ''Curia Maior'' (Big Manor) was erected between 1407 and 1410. Its facade, which was still standing in 1944, was knocked down by the Germans, but has been rebuilt since then. The character of the new residence and its size (47.5 m/14.5 m) decided the change of the buildings status, and from 1414 it functioned as a Prince Manor.


Renaissance period

When the Masovia region was incorporated in the Kingdom of Poland in 1526, the edifice, which until then had been the Castle of the Dukes of Masovia, became one of the royal residences. From 1548 onwards Queen Bona Sforza resided in it with her daughters Izabela, who became Queen of
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
, Catherine, later to become Queen of Sweden, and
Anna Jagiellon Anna Jagiellon ( pl, Anna Jagiellonka, lt, Ona Jogailaitė; 18 October 1523 – 9 September 1596) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania from 1575 to 1587. Daughter of Polish King Sigismund I the Old and Italian duchess Bona ...
, later Queen of Poland. In 1556–1557 and in 1564 the King of Poland, Sigismund II Augustus, convened royal parliaments in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
. They met in the Castle. Following the
Lublin Union The Union of Lublin ( pl, Unia lubelska; lt, Liublino unija) was signed on 1 July 1569 in Lublin, Poland, and created a single state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest countries in Europe at the time. It replaced the per ...
(1569), by which the Polish Crown and the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was Partitions of Poland, partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire, Habsburg Empire of ...
– were united as a single country, Warsaw Castle was regularly the place where the parliament of the Two-Nations State met. In 1569–1572 King Sigismund II Augustus started alterations in the Castle, the architects being Giovanni Battista di Quadro and Giacopo Pario. The ''Curia Maior'' was altered so as provide a meeting place for the Parliament, with premises for the Chamber of Deputies (''Sejm'' – delegates of the gentry) on the ground floor (''the Old Chamber of Deputies''), and the Senate Chamber (where the Senators debated in the presence of the King) on the first floor. This was one of the first attempts in Europe to create a building that would be used solely for parliamentary purposes. The parliamentary character of the ''Curia Maior'' is stressed by the paintings of the facade – the coats-of-arms of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, of Lithuania, and of the various regions from which the delegates were elected. A new
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...
—style building, known as the "Royal House", was erected next to the ''Curia Maior''. The king resided there when the parliament was in session.


Vasa period and the Deluge

The next alterations to the Castle were made in the reign of Sigismund III, who transferred the royal residence from Cracow to
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
. In 1598–1619 the Castle was enlarged. Giovanni Trevano was in charge of the reconstruction. His plans were probably amended by the Venetian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. Between 1601 and 1603 Giacomo Rodondo finished the new northern wing. From 1602 Paolo del Corte was doing stonework. Later after 1614, when Matteo Castelli took the lead, the western wing was built (from today's Plac Zamkowy side) as chancelleries and a marshals office. The southern wing was built at the end. In that way five-wings in a mannerist-early baroque style were built. In 1619 the New Royal Tower ( la, Nova Turris Regia) also called Sigismund's Tower was finished. It was 60 meters high and was placed in the middle of a newly built west castle 90 meters in length. At the top of the tower, a clock with gilded hands and copper face was placed. The new tower's spire was 13 meters high and had glided knobs and a copper flag at the top. On 29 October 1611 in the Senator's Chamber, Tsar Vasili IV of Russia, who had been captured by the hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski, paid homage to the Polish king Sigismund III Vasa. The Polish king Sigismund III and his successors of the Vasa dynasty — Władysław IV Vasa and John II Casimir Vasa — collected many rich works of art in the castle, such as oriental fabrics, tapestries, and numerous paintings by such famous artists as Titian, Veronese,
Jacopo Jacopo (also Iacopo) is a masculine Italian given name, derivant from Latin ''Iacōbus''. It is an Italian variant of Giacomo. * Jacopo Aconcio (), Italian religious reformer * Jacopo Bassano (1592), Italian painter * Iacopo Barsotti (1921–1987) ...
, Leandro Bassano, Tintoretto,
Palma il Giovane Iacopo Negretti (1548/50 – 14 October 1628), best known as Jacopo or Giacomo Palma il Giovane or simply Palma Giovane ("Young Palma"), was an Italian painter from Venice and a notable exponent of the Venetian school. After Tintoretto's death ...
,
Antonio Vassilacchi Antonio Vassilacchi (; el, Αντώνιος Βασιλάκης, Antonios Vasilakis; 1556–1629), also called L'Aliense, was a Greece, Greek painter, who was active mostly in Venice and the Veneto. Biography Antonio Vassilacchi was born of Greek ...
, Tommaso Dolabella, Guercino, Guido Reni, Joseph Heintz,
Bartholomeus Spranger Bartholomeus Spranger or Bartholomaeus SprangerBartholomeus Spranger
at the Roelant Savery Roelant Savery (or ''Roeland(t) Maertensz Saverij'', or ''de Savery'', or many variants; 1576 – buried 25 February 1639) was a Flanders-born Dutch Golden Age painter. Life Savery was born in Kortrijk. Like so many other artists, he belonged ...
, Rembrandt, Pieter Soutman, Peter Danckerts de Rij, Peter Paul Rubens,
Jan Brueghel the Elder Jan Brueghel (also Bruegel or Breughel) the Elder (, ; ; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman. He was the son of the eminent Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder. A close friend and frequent collaborat ...
, Daniel Seghers, Georg Daniel Schultz and sculptures by Giambologna,
Giovanni Francesco Susini Giovanni Francesco (Gianfrancesco) Susini (c.1585 – after 17 October 1653) was a Mannerist Florentine sculptor in bronze and marble. Life Susini was born in Florence, and trained in the workshop of Giambologna. He continued to work in Gi ...
and Adriaen de Vries. These splendid works of art were either destroyed or plundered during the invasions of Poland by Sweden and Russia during ( The Deluge, in 1655–1657). The Swedes took all the priceless pictures, furniture, tapestries, the royal library, the crown archive, numerous sculptures, whole floors and royal flags. In the castle they had a military ''Lazareth'' field hospital, which additionally contributed to the devastation of the buildings. A few months later armies destroyed the rest, plundering most of the copper elements and tearing up the rest of castle's floor. The majority of the preserved castle furnishings from the Vasa period found their place in the collection of the Visitationist Monastery in Warsaw as donations from the last Vasa, John II Casimir and his French-born wife Marie Louise Gonzaga. In 1628 the first
Polish opera Polish opera may be broadly understood to include operas staged in Poland and works written for foreign stages by Polish composers, as well as opera in the Polish language. The tradition reaches back to Italian language entertainments of the baroq ...
– ''Galatea'', was staged at the Castle. The great opera hall (double-storied, over 50m long), which existed at the Royal Castle, was demolished by Swedes and Germans and rebuilt in the 1660s by King John II Casimir.


Late Baroque period

In 1657 the reconstruction of the castle started, under the Italian architect Izydor Affait's guidance. Because of the lack of money the following Polish king, Michael I Korybut did not decide on radical rebuilding, just limiting himself to rebuilding destroyed buildings. Because of bad conditions of the residence he had to move to Ujazdów Castle in 1669. Until 1696 when the next Polish king, John III Sobieski died, no serious works were done. They only limited work to current inspections of the building's condition. Sessions of Parliament continued to be held in the castle, as well as various State occasions, such as when the Hohenzollern Dukes of Prussia paid homage to the Kings of Poland and occasions when the king received the ambassadors of foreign countries. After choosing
Augustus II Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
in an election in 1697, the castle again began to deteriorate. A new conflict with the King of Sweden, Charles XII significantly limited the king's budget. Despite problems, in 1698
Augustus II Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
commissioned a residence reconstruction project. In 1700 it was done by Johann Friedrich Karcher, who came from abroad. On 25 May 1702 the Swedes re-seized the Royal Castle in Warsaw, creating a hospital with 500 beds, and into The Chamber of Deputies and ministers' rooms, they placed a stable. During the Polish army's siege in 1704 the castle was retaken. However, it was soon retaken once more by Sweden's army. In 1707, by virtue of the peace treaty between
Augustus II Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
and Charles XII of Sweden, Russian allied troops entered Warsaw, and Tsar Peter I of Russia settled in the castle. After two months, Russian forces were removed from Warsaw, taking with them works of art from the castle, including Tommaso Dolabella's pictures, which included two that were very important for Russians: ''The Defense of Smolensk'' and ''Russian Tsar Vasili IV compelled to kneel before Polish King Sigismund III of Poland''. The Władysław's Opera Hall was completely devastated and was never restored. The reconstruction according to Karcher's plans began from 1713 to 1715. In 1717 the Parliament Hall was completely rebuilt. It was used to serve the Saxon rulers as a coronation hall. During the following years, between 1722 and 1723, the other castle halls were converted-under the direction of architect
Joachim Daniel von Jauch Joachim Daniel von Jauch (22 March 1688 – 3 May 1754) was a German-born architect who supervised the baroque development of Warsaw in Poland. Early life and work Joachim Daniel von Jauch was born into the Jauch family in Güstrow, Germany on 2 ...
, the new Senate Chamber was built, and all the furnishings moved from the old to the new location, including among others: 60 Polish provincial emblems, panelling, mouldings and '' lesene''. On 31 May 1732, a fire broke out in the castle destroying the west elevation and part of the Sigismund's Tower and the exterior façade sculptures, known as armature. The next reconstruction project of the Royal Castle appeared after Augustus III took to the Polish throne in 1733. New plans, which were formed in 1734 and developed in 1737 by architect
Gaetano Chiaveri Gaetano Chiaveri ( in Rome – 5 March 1770) was an Italian architect and master builder, most notable for his work as part of the second phase of the Dresden Baroque. His works include the Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains t ...
, saw among other things, the reconstruction of the castle's façade on the Vistula side in the
rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
style, which was meant to form a new so called Saxon elevation and also the conversion of the north-east part with the Altana Tower, where it was planned for 3 two-storey
avant-corps An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than oth ...
(risalto) to be built on. The reconstruction work according to these plans was carried out with various intensity between 1740 and 1752. During the period of 1740–1747 the façade on the Vistula side was reconstructed in the late baroque style (architects: Gaetano Chiaveri, Carl Friedrich Pöppelmann, Jan Krzysztof Knöffel). One of the best sculptors who did work on the castle in this period was Jan Jerzy Plersch, who made the royal decorative frames, mouldings and statues called the Famous Figures, which held the royal crowns on the top of the middle
risalto RisAlto is an international exposition of contemporary art that was organized annually in the medieval castle of Camino, Piedmont, between 2001 and 2010. The project is an idea of the artists Marco Porta and Mari Brignolo. Risalto was the first m ...
, of the Saxon elevation, on the Vistula side. The last reconstruction work of this period was finished by late 1763, after the death of Augustus III, when Plersch made the last sculptures and frames with province emblems for the Parliament Hall.


Enlightenment period

The most splendid period in the history of the Castle was during the rule of Stanisław II Augustus (1764–1795). This monarch collected exquisite works of art, many of which have survived to this day. He recruited first-rate architects such as
Jakub Fontana Jakub Fontana (born 1710 in Szczuczyn, died 13 April 1773 in Warsaw) was a Polish architect of Swiss Italian origin, a practitioner of the Baroque and Neoclassical styles. He was court architect to the Polish king. He was knighted in 1764. Jakub ...
, Merlini, Kamsetzer, and Kubicki, to work on the castle, as well as splendid painters such as Marcello Bacciarelli, Bernardo Bellotto (otherwise known as Canaletto), Franciszek Smuglewicz,
Kazimierz Wojniakowski Kazimierz Wojniakowski (1771/72, Kraków – 1812, Warsaw) was a Polish painter, illustrator and Freemason, known primarily for his portraits in the sentimentalist style. Life and work He was a pupil of Marcello Bacciarelli."Wojniakowski, Kazimie ...
, and Jean-Baptiste Pillement and eminent sculptors such as André le Brun and Jakub Monaldi, and famous French artists such as the architect Victor Louis. The total reconstruction of the castle planned by the king did not come to fruition, but the interior was changed to the neoclassical style – although this, known in Poland as the ''Stanisław Augustus style'', was rather different from neo—classicism in the rest of Europe. During 1766–1785 on the basis of Jakub Fontana's plans, the southern wing of the castle, which was burnt on 15 December 1767 was rebuilt (2 destroyed floors, a new elevation on the south side with three avant-corps or
risalti An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than othe ...
, the division of the façade by ''lesene'' and pilasters with Ionic capitals). Between 1774 and 1777 the monarch's private apartments were furnished. They consisted of the Prospect Room (with landscapes by Canaletto), the chapel, the Audience Chamber, and the Bedchamber, while between 1779 and 1786 the Senate Apartments were completed, consisting of the Ballroom, the Knights Hall, the Throne Room, the Marble Room, and the Conference Chamber. These rooms contained pictures and sculptures depicting great events in Poland's history, as well as portraits of Polish kings, generals, statesmen and scholars (including Copernicus and Adam Naruszewicz). In 1777, a gilded bronze altar presented to king Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski by Pope Clement XIV, was installed in the new Chapel of the Royal Castle, so-called Saxon Chapel (today's concert hall). The Castle also housed the rich royal collections including 3200 pictures, classical statues, about 100 000 graphics, in addition to medals, coins, and a fine
library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vi ...
, to house which a separate building was erected in 1780–1784. The new library building housed many books, gems, drawings, coins, maps and plans belonging to the monarch. The Royal Library's book collection amounted to 16 000 volumes of various works, 25,525 drawings, 44,842 etchings in 726 bound volumes, overall a number of 70,000 etchings—fancy dress balls were also held in this hall. Up until 1786 Stanisław II Augustus tried a few times to change the outside decor of the Castle and to build an architectural castle square, he was not however successful in carrying out these plans. During this period, the Castle was the place where the ideas of the Polish Enlightenment first flourished. The king held "Thursday lunches" at the Castle, for scientists, scholars, writers and artists. This was where the idea for the National Education Commission; one of the first secular Ministries of Education in Europe, was mooted. The Castle was the place where the first proposals were made for a Knights' School, and for a national theatre. It was in the Senate Chamber in the Castle that what was known as the " Great Sejm" (Great Parliament) passed the famous Polish
Constitution of 3 May The Constitution of 3 May 1791,; lt, Gegužės trečiosios konstitucija titled the Governance Act, was a constitution adopted by the Great Sejm ("Four-Year Sejm", meeting in 1788–1792) for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a dual mo ...
, 1791. During the ceremony the King was carried out to the nearby church of St. John. In honour of this occasion a marble plaque with Ignacy Krasicki's text written on it was set into the wall of the Castle.


In partitioned Poland and the Second Polish Republic

Between 19 and 20 December 1806 and 1–30 January 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, spent his time at the Castle. Here in 1807 he made the decision to form a Warsaw duchy, which was to be ruled by the Saxon prince Frederick August I, using the Royal castle as his residence. Prince Józef Poniatowski, Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army and Marshal of France, resided in the Copper-Roof Palace joined to the Castle. After the creation of the constitutional Kingdom of Poland (1815) its parliaments met here at the Castle. As Kings of Poland, the Russian Tsars
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of A ...
and Nicholas I also resided in the castle when they stayed in
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officiall ...
. During the November Uprising, on 25 January 1831, the
Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...
debating in the castle dethroned Tsar of Russia, Nicholas I as Polish king. In 1836, after abolishing the division into voivodeships in the Congress Poland, they were replaced by the guberniyas. During that time, the Royal Castle became the residence of the Tsar's governor
Ivan Paskievich Count Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich-Erevansky, Serene Prince of Warsaw (russian: Ива́н Фёдорович Паске́вич-Эриванский, светлейший князь Варшавский, tr. ; – ) was an Imperial Russian mi ...
. Paskievich charged Ludvik Corio – a Russian Colonel and architect – with designing new elevations and facades (the west, south and east parts). However, Russian authorities were not satisfied with the new designs and Corio was told to prepare another design – one that would refer to Kubicki's solutions (and his co-workers Lelewel and Thomas). Finally, Corio rebuilt all the elevations and facades in the neoclassical style, but the Saxon Elevation was left the same. After the death of Paskievich in 1856, all the next governors resided in the Royal Castle's Chamberlain's Room. The Russian officials occupied rooms on both floors of the west and north wings of the castle. The governors were heavily guarded by the Russian army. Unfortunately, the living space that was assigned to these soldiers was the Parliamentary Hall, Library and barracks under the Castle. As a result, these were left devastated. After the January Uprising in 1863, the Russian army totally destroyed the Royal garden on the Vistula side (which was transformed into the military parade square), building a few barracks made of brick for stables and Cossacks' barracks. In 1862–1863 some maintenance work was done in the Royal Castle under the supervision of Jerzy Orłowicz, Ludwik Gosławski and Potolov. In 1890 the Saxon Elevation was rebuilt under the supervision of a builder January Kiślański, when the arcades of both viewing galleries, dating back to the August III period, were deformed. The last repair works, which cost 28 000
rubles The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union. , currencies named ''rub ...
, during the reign of Russia, were in 1902 in the rooms which had been occupied by the Russian army. During the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
it was the residence of the German military governor. After Poland regained her independence in 1918, the Castle became the residence of the President of Poland. It was restored under the guidance of Kazimierz Skórewicz (1920–1928) and
Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz (1 September 1883, in Narva – 1 October 1948, in Kraków) was a Polish architect and conservator of monuments, a leading representative of historicism and modernism in Poland. Life and career He was born on 1 September 1883 ...
(until 1939). Under the terms of the Peace Treaty signed with Soviet Russia at Riga in 1920, works of art and other precious things, including all the castle furnishings, which had been taken away to Russia, were brought back to Poland. As a result, it was possible to restore the historic rooms to their appearance in the reign of Stanisław II Augustus.


During World War II

On 17 September 1939, the Castle was shelled by German artillery. The roof and the turrets were destroyed by fire (they were partly restored by the Castle's staff, but later deliberately removed by the Germans). The ceiling of the Ballroom collapsed, resulting in the destruction of Bacciarelli's ceiling fresco ''The Creation of the World'' and other rooms were slightly damaged. But immediately after the seizure of Warsaw by the Germans, their occupation troops set to demolish the castle. The more valuable objects, even including the central heating and ventilation installations, were dismantled and taken away to Germany. On 4 October 1939 in Berlin, Adolf Hitler issued the order to blow up the Royal Castle. On 10 October 1939, special German units, under the supervision of history and art experts (Dr. Dagobert Frey, an art historian at the University of Breslau; Gustaw Barth, the director of museums in Breslau, and Dr. Joseph Mühlmann, an art historian from Vienna) started to demount floor, marbles, sculptures and stone elements such as fireplaces or moulds. The artefacts were taken to Germany or stored in
Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
's warehouses. Many of them were also seized by various Nazi dignitaries who resided in Warsaw. The Castle was totally emptied. Disobeying German orders, despite the danger of being shot, Polish museum staff and experts in art restoration managed to save many of the works of art from the castle, as well as fragments of the stucco-work, the parquet floors, the wood panelling, and more which were later used in the reconstruction. The great service done to Poland by Professor
Stanisław Lorentz Stanisław Lorentz (28 April 1899 – 15 March 1991) was a Polish scholar of museology and history of art. He was director of the National Museum in Warsaw in the years 1935-1985, deputy to Sejm - the Polish Parliament (1965–69), and an UN ...
, in leading this campaign to save the castle's treasures, is well known. Wehrmacht sappers then bored tens of thousands of holes for dynamite charges in the stripped walls. In 1944, after the collapse of the Warsaw Uprising, when hostilities had already ceased, the Germans blew up the Castle's demolished walls. Leveling the Royal Castle was only a part of a larger plan – the Pabst Plan – the goal of which was to build a monumental Community Hall (ger. ''Volkshalle'') or an equally sizable Congress Hall of NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party – ger. ''Parteivolkshalle'') in the Royal Castle's place and to replace the
Sigismund's Column Sigismund's Column ( pl, Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. Th ...
with the Germania Monument. A pile of rubble, surmounted by only two fragments of walls, was all that was left of the six-hundred-year-old edifice. On one of these fragments part of the stucco decoration remained, this was a cartouche with the royal version of the motto of the Order of the White Eagle — "
PRO FIDE, LEGE ET REGE ''Pro Fide, Lege et Rege'' (Latin for "For Faith, Law and King") was an 18th-century motto of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and then of Poland. It superseded the earlier ''Si Deus Nobiscum quis contra nos'' (Latin for "If God is with us, t ...
" (for Faith, Law, and King).


Reconstruction

Immediately after the end of war in 1945, work started on rescuing the surviving fragments of the castle's walls, foundations, and cellars as well as the fire-blackened walls of the Copper-Roof Palace and the Royal Library building, from further destruction. In 1949 the Polish Parliament passed a bill to rebuild the Castle as a monument to Polish history and culture. Meanwhile, special architectural designing offices, under Jan Dąbrowski, Piotr Biegański and
Jan Zachwatowicz Jan Zachwatowicz (4 March 1900 – 18 August 1983) was a Polish architect, architectural historian, and restorer. Biography Zachwatowicz was born in Gatchina. He studied Industrial Civil Engineering at the Saint Petersburg Polytechnical Univers ...
, drew up blueprints for restoring the framework of the building and furnishing the historical rooms. The decision to start work was postponed several times, but was finally taken on 20 January 1971. A Civic Committee was set up. Amid universal applause it was decided to rebuild the castle from voluntary contributions. Both, in Poland and abroad fund-raising committees were set up. By May 1975 the Fund had already reached the 500 million zlotys. By the same date more than a thousand valuable works of art had been given to the Castle by numerous Poles resident both in Poland and abroad. Official representatives of other countries have likewise presented to the Castle works of art of great artistic and historic value.


Today

The imposing façade, built of brick, is long and faces the
Castle Square Castle Square may refer to: *Castle Square, Sheffield, England *Castle Square, Warsaw Castle Square ( pl, plac Zamkowy) is a historic square in front of the Royal Castle – the former official residence of Polish monarchs – located in Wars ...
. At each end of the façade stands a square tower with a bulbous spire. The Sigismund's Tower is located in the centre of the main façade, flanked on both sides by the castle. This huge clock tower ( in height), designed in the 17th century, has always been a symbol of the Polish capital and source of inspiration for the architects of other buildings in Warsaw. The castle now serves as a museum and is subordinated to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Many official visits and state meetings are also held in the Royal Castle.


Interior

The interior consists of many different rooms, all painstakingly restored with as much original exhibits as possible after the destruction of the Second World War. * The Jagiellonian Rooms These rooms, which belonged to the residence of Sigismund Augustus, are now host to a number of portraits of the Jagiellon dynasty, a royal dynasty originating in Lithuania that reigned in some Central European countries between the 14th and 16th century. In 2011 the Jagiellonian Rooms were re-arranged to house the modern Gallery of Painting, Sculpture and Decorative Arts. * The Houses of Parliament From the 16th century onwards, Polish democracy started here. In 1573, amendments to the constitution of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
were written here, with great religious tolerance. Also, during the Deluge in 1652, the liberum veto was established in these rooms, although not carried out until 1669. In 1791, the May Constitution, Europe's first modern codified national
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...
as well as the second-oldest national constitution in the world, was drafted here. The decorations in the room are replicas of the originals by Giovanni Battista di Quadro. * The Royal Apartments In these apartments, King Stanisław Augustus Poniatowski lived. They consist of the Canaletto room, in which several painted views of Warsaw are on display. These were not painted by Canaletto, but rather by his nephew, Bernardo Bellotto also called ''il Canaletto''. Jean-Baptiste Pillement worked between 1765 and 1767 on one of his largest projects, the wallpaper.
Domenico Merlini Domenico Merlini () (22 February 1730 – 20 February 1797) was an Italian-Polish architect whose work was mostly in the classical style. Life and Style From 1750 till his death, Merlini lived in Poland. In 1768, he became a nobleman and later ...
designed the adjacent Royal Chapel in 1776. Nowadays, the heart of Tadeusz Kościuszko is kept here in an urn. The Audience Rooms are also designed by Merlini, with four paintings by Marcello Bacciarelli on display. Andrzej Grzybowski took care of the restoration of the room, that included many original pieces. * Lanckoroński Collection In 1994 Countess Karolina Lanckorońska donated 37 pictures to the Royal Castle. Collection includes two paintings (portraits) by Rembrandt: ''The Father of the Jewish Bride'' (also known as ''
The Scholar at the Lectern ''The Scholar at the Lectern'' or ''The Father of the Jewish Bride'' is a 1641 oil on panel painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. With ''The Girl in a Picture Frame'' (also known as ''The Jewish Bride'') and '' Landscape with the Good Samaritan'' ...
'') and ''The Jewish Bride'' (also known as ''
The Girl in a Picture Frame ''The Girl in a Picture Frame'' is a 1641 oil on panel painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. It is also known as ''The Jewish Bride'' and ''The Girl in a Hat''. With '' The Scholar at the Lectern'' and '' Landscape with the Good Samaritan'', it ...
'') both originally in the Stanisław Augustus Poniatowski collection. In December 2018, the Castle acquired a violin created by Antonio Stradivari in 1685. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence, the instrument was officially given the name ''Polonia''. The virtuoso violinist Jerzy Wawrowski is the only person who is allowed to play on the instrument. In December 2018, a painting by Marcello Bacciarelli titled ''Portrait of Jerzy Mniszech with Daughter Elizabeth and Kiopek'' (1795), which was considered missing, was returned to the Castle's collections.


Gallery

Image:Nowa Izba Poselska Zamek Królewski w Warszawie 2016.jpg, New Chamber of Deputies Image:Dawna Izba Poselska Zamek Królewski w Warszawie 2016.jpg, Old
Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...
Image:Sala Senatorska Zamek Królewski w Warszawie 2016.jpg, Senatorial Hall Image:Warsaw Throne chair of Stanislaus Augustus.jpg, The Throne Image:Throne Room Royal Castle in Warsaw.JPG, The Throne Room Image:2 Zamek Krolewski 43.jpg, Royal Council Room Image:Zamek Królewski w Warszawie - 03.jpg, Old Audience Chamber Image:Conference Room (Royal Castle, Warsaw)-01.jpg, Conference Room Image:2 Zamek Krolewski 36.jpg, Great Assembly Hall Image:Marble Room at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland.jpg, Marble Room Image:Zamek Królewski w Warszawie - 09.jpg, Knight's Room Image:Crown Prince's Apartment RCW.jpg, Royal Apartment Image:Zamek Królewski w Warszawie - 04.jpg, Royal Bedroom Image:Zamek Królewski w Warszawie - 02.jpg, Canaletto Room Image:Pokój Żółty Zamek Królewski w Warszawie.JPG, Yellow Room Image:Piwnica Książeca Zamek Królewski w Warszawie.JPG, Gothic cellar Image:Zamek Krolewski Warszawa 2012 (2).JPG, Kubicki Arcade
Image:Rembrandt Scholar at the Lectern.jpg, ''
The Scholar at the Lectern ''The Scholar at the Lectern'' or ''The Father of the Jewish Bride'' is a 1641 oil on panel painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. With ''The Girl in a Picture Frame'' (also known as ''The Jewish Bride'') and '' Landscape with the Good Samaritan'' ...
'', Rembrandt, 1641 Image:Dyck Charles I Stuart.jpg, ''Portrait of Charles I Stuart'', Anthony van Dyck, ca.1638 Image:Cranach Adam and Eve.jpg, ''Adam and Eve'', Lucas Cranach the Elder, ca. 1528 Image:Cleve Saint John the Baptist.jpg, ''Saint John the Baptist'', Joos van Cleve, ca.1540 Image:Gainsborough George III of the United Kingdom.jpg, ''Portrait of George III of the United Kingdom in Parliament Robes'', Thomas Gainsborough, 1785 Image:Lebrun Pelagie Sapiezyna.jpg, ''Portrait of Pélagie Sapieżyna-Potocka'', Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, 1794 Image:Teniers Country doctor.jpg, ''Country Doctor'', David Teniers the Younger, second half of 17th century Image:Batoni Pope Pius VI.jpg, ''Portrait of Pope Pius VI'',
Pompeo Batoni Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (25 January 1708 – 4 February 1787) was an Italian painter who displayed a solid technical knowledge in his portrait work and in his numerous allegorical and mythological pictures. The high number of foreign visitors tra ...
, ca.1780 Image:Kucharsky Marie Antoinette in the Temple.jpg, '' Marie Antoinette in the Temple Prison'',
Alexander Kucharsky Alexander Kucharsky (18 March 1741 – 5 November 1819) also Alexandre Kucharsky, was a Polish portrait painter who spent his adult life in France. He himself used the spelling Kucharsky,See signature at Marie Antoinette, miniature by Kucharsky, ...
, 1793 Image:Troschel Władysław Sigismund Vasa.jpg, ''Prince Władysław Vasa'', Jakob Troschel, 1605 Image:Troschel Constance of Austria.jpg, ''Queen Constance of Austria'', Jakob Troschel, 1624 Image:Art Collection of Prince Władysław Vasa.jpg, ''Art
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
of Prince Władysław Vasa'', Etienne de la Hire, 1626 Image:Ceremonial sword Poniatowski.jpg, ''Ceremonial sword of the Saint Stanislaw's Order'', 1764


Copper-Roof Palace

The Copper-Roof Palace has since 1989 been a branch of the Royal Castle Museum. The palace is contiguous with Warsaw's Royal Castle, and down a slope from the
Castle Square Castle Square may refer to: *Castle Square, Sheffield, England *Castle Square, Warsaw Castle Square ( pl, plac Zamkowy) is a historic square in front of the Royal Castle – the former official residence of Polish monarchs – located in Wars ...
and Old Town. It was originally a patrician house of Wawrzyniec Reffus, it was built 1651–1656. After 1657 destruction by the army of George II Rákóczi, it was completely remodeled in 1698–1701 for
Jerzy Dominik Lubomirski Prince Jerzy Dominik Lubomirski ( en, George Dominic; 1654–1727) was a Polish noble (szlachcic). He was the son of Grand Marshal and Hetman Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski and Barbara Tarło. In 1695 he married Urszula of Altenbockum. The marr ...
. Lubomirski expanded the palace by building a southern wing, perpendicular to the rest of structure, and also expanded the western elevation. Shortly after its construction the palace became known as ''Palais Martin'', after Lubomirski's grandson. In 1720 the palace was rebuilt with an addition of a second northern wing. Additionally the interior was decorated with
rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
paintings. After 1777 the palace passed into ownership of Poland's last king, Stanisław II Augustus, who hired the architect
Domenico Merlini Domenico Merlini () (22 February 1730 – 20 February 1797) was an Italian-Polish architect whose work was mostly in the classical style. Life and Style From 1750 till his death, Merlini lived in Poland. In 1768, he became a nobleman and later ...
to once again redesign the inside rooms of the palace and join the library wing of the Royal Castle to it. The king then made a present of the redecorated place to his nephew Prince Józef Poniatowski The younger Poniatowski was a successful commander in the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising, and later one of Napoleon Bonaparte's marshals. Under his ownership the palace became a center of Warsaw's high class social scene. When Warsaw became part of
Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
after the Third Partition of Poland the buildings became the headquarters for the Prussian Ministry of War. The Copper-Roof Palace was burned in 1944 and reconstructed, based on paintings of Bernardo Bellotto, between 1948 and 1949. Currently the palace is a museum hosting, ''inter alia'', a permanent exhibition of
oriental carpets An oriental rug is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in " Oriental countries" for home use, local sale, and export. Oriental carpets can be pile woven or flat woven without pile, using v ...
and other oriental decorative art, donated to the museum by Mrs. Teresa Sahakian. The collection comprises 579 items, 562 of which are textiles.


Interesting facts

*On 24 May 1829 in the Royal Castle's Senator's Hall, Nicholas I of Russia was crowned King of Poland. *On 5 November 1916, the Act of 5 November was announced in the Grand Hall. *On 23 April 1935, the April Constitution was signed in the ''Knight Hall''. *Stanisław Augustus Poniatowski's regalia are kept in the Royal Chapel. These are the Order of the White Eagle, the ceremonial sword of the Saint Stanisław's Order and aquamarine sceptre. *The insignia of presidential power are also stored in the Castle- the stamp of the President, the Jack of the President of the Republic of Poland and national documents, which Ryszard Kaczorowski gave to Lech Wałęsa on 22 December 1990. *Many of the Polish
legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...
s are connected with the Royal Castle. According to one of them in 1569 the King Sigismund Augustus, who was in mourning after death of his beloved wife
Barbara Radziwiłł Barbara Radziwiłł ( pl, Barbara Radziwiłłówna, lt, Barbora Radvilaitė; 6 December 1520/23 – 8 May 1551) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as consort of Sigismund II Augustus, the last male monarch of the Jagiellon dyna ...
, asked the renowned sorcerer Master Twardowski to evoke her ghost. The experiment was successful with support of a magic mirror, which today is kept in the Węgrów Cathedral. Despite that some people suspected that it was not the Queen's ghost but closely resembling her king's mistress Barbara Giżanka and the whole event was set up by Giżanka's accomplice Mikołaj Mniszech, king's chamberlain. *The Royal Castle in Warsaw is one of the official members of the Association of European Royal Residences. *In 2014, the National Bank of Poland issued a 5 zloty coin in a series called "Discover Poland" depicting the Royal Castle in Warsaw.


Chicago replica

In 1979, the historic Gateway Theatre in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago was purchased by the
Copernicus Foundation The Copernicus Foundation ( pl, Fundacja Kopernikowska) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization based in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded by Poles in Chicago in 1971 in order to raise funds towards raisi ...
with the intention of converting it into the seat of the Polish Cultural and Civic Center. Because of the building's historical significance, its interior was kept intact while the exterior was remodelled and a Neo-Baroque clock tower was added to give it the resemblance of the Royal Castle in Warsaw.''Northwest Chicago Historical Society''. Newsletter – January 2005; Number
www.nwchicagohistory.org
It is a visual tribute to Chicago's large Polish populace, the largest such presence outside of Poland.


See also

*
Castle Square Castle Square may refer to: *Castle Square, Sheffield, England *Castle Square, Warsaw Castle Square ( pl, plac Zamkowy) is a historic square in front of the Royal Castle – the former official residence of Polish monarchs – located in Wars ...
* St. John's Cathedral *
Sigismund's Column Sigismund's Column ( pl, Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history. Th ...
* Castles in Poland


References


Bibliography

# #


External links


Royal Castle website

The Royal Castle in Warsaw – Museum at Google Cultural Institute

Zamek Królewski w Warszawie – Muzeum – Google Art Project



Castles.info—Royal Castle in Warsaw
— history and pictures.
Google's Virtual Walk of the Royal Castle
{{Authority control Museums in Warsaw Palaces in Warsaw Castles in Masovian Voivodeship Royal residences in Poland Houses completed in 1619 1944 disestablishments in Poland Rebuilt buildings and structures in Poland Demolished buildings and structures in Poland Baroque palaces in Poland Historic house museums in Poland Art museums and galleries in Poland Registered museums in Poland Residences of Polish monarchs 1619 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Nazi war crimes in Poland