Wilanów Palace (Warsaw): architecture, history, museum and practical information for tourists

Wilanów Palace (Warsaw) - one of the most valuable monuments of Polish Baroque. The historic mansion was built in the late 17th century. However, each subsequent owner of it rebuilt.

History of the palace

The building combines a traditional Polish manor house with details of an Italian country villa and a French palace. ATIlianów Palace built for the King of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Jan IIISobieski and Maria Kazimira, his wife, the Italian architect Augustine Lozzi. Later it was rebuilt several times by such architects as Giovanni Spazzio, Jan Zygmunt Deibel, Shimon Bogumil Zug, Peter Aigner and Francis Maria Lanci.

After the death of the king, the palace passed by hereditysons, and then - in the ownership of noble families: the magnates of the Senes, Czartoryski, Lubomir, Potocki and Branicki. Each subsequent family introduced certain changes into the appearance of the building, the interior of the palace, the garden and its infrastructure. It is worth noting that in 1805, at the initiative of the then owner, Stanislav Kostka Pototsky, part of the palace was taken under the creation of one of the first public museums in Poland.

Interior and exterior

The Wilanów Palace was declared historica monument in 1994. The architecture of the palace (the facade with one-story wings in half-columns with pilasters) combines the art of building the European tradition of the old Polish farmstead. The royal apartments, located in the central part, are decorated in the Baroque style. The interiors in the southern wing are a real example of the artistic manner of the 18th century. The northern wing was decorated in the XIX century by Count Potocki, then the owner of the estate.

The whole floor is dedicated to the Polish Portrait GalleryXVI-XIX centuries. On the canvases of artists immortalized images of monarchs, representatives of the great aristocratic families, cultural figures, glorified the country. To the right of the main gate visitors can see neoclassical buildings, the so-called old kitchen and guardhouses, built in 1775-1776 by the architect Zug. Stables were set under the leadership of Lanci (1848-1850).

The Wilanów Palace is surrounded by a two-level garden. The park was created according to the scheme of the French geometrical plantations of the XVII-XVIII centuries. The landscape part of the pond retains its English character. The area is decorated with statues, fountains and small samples of park architecture.

Museum in the Palace

In 1805 on the initiative of Alexander and StanislavKostka Potocki in Viljanovo was founded by the museum. The Wilyan Palace became state property after 1945. In 1954, when careful restoration work was carried out and valuable frescos and sculptures were found, a new life began at the palace and park. At the same time, the interiors were thoroughly reconstructed.

In 1962, on the anniversary of the siege of Vienna, the palace wasopen to the public. The museum operated until 1995, as a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw, and then it was transformed into an independent institution. Starting in 2013, it is called the palace-museum of King John III in Viljanovo. Since the first years of the 21st century, the activities of the panopticon have been financed by the European Union and the Ministry of Culture of the country.

The museum organizes temporary exhibitions,conferences and seminars, conducts research, publishes books both scientific and popular, organizes educational events dedicated to the cultural values ​​and natural heritage of Wilanów. Palace and the park also became a venue for cultural events, concerts and meetings.

Wilanów Palace (Warsaw). How to get there?

Palace open all year round, forexcept for the end of December and the beginning of January, as well as the most important religious holidays - Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, Christmas, Assumption and November 1. The palace is also closed to the public on Tuesdays.

The entrance ticket to the museum is 20złoty, preferential - 15, to the park - 5 and 3 respectively. On Thursdays the entrance to the territory is free, however it is carried out on the basis of tickets issued at the checkout.

Many tourists are worried about what Wilyanouskipalace? How to get to it? This is an often asked question. The museum is located about 10 km from the center of Warsaw, at the end of the historic Royal Route. There are numerous bus lines.