Royal Castle

The original building of the Royal Castle was founded in the early 15th century. It was the ancient residence of the Mazovian and Polish kings, as well as the seat of the Sejm during the Commonwealth. The king Sigismundus III, the one who ordered to transfer the capital of Poland from Krakow to Warsaw, ordered to remodel the castle. The construction works under patronage of the royal architect Jan Trevano took place in the first quarter of the 17th century. A huge five-wing, early Baroque construction was erected with an inner yard and a tall clock-tower.

The Royal Castle was a witness of many historical events. For example, it was the place where in 1791 the Polish Constitution was passed. When Poland regained independence in 1918, the Castle became the residence of the President of the Republic. In 1939 the Castle was bombed and burned during combat. Its destruction was completed in 1944, when the Nazis set explosives in the Castle's walls and blew it up.

The Royal Castle in Warsaw has been always considered to be the symbol of Polish Statehood, the monument of national history and culture. That's why it was very important to restore the building. However, the construction works were started only in 1971. The reconstruction of the Castle was funded exclusively from contributions of individual Poles. The restored walls of the Castle incorporate salvaged fragments of the original stones, murals and wall paintings. The interiors were furnished and decorated with works of art that had been rescued before the Castle's destruction.

Nowadays the permanent exposition of the Royal Castle include a number of restored apartments, containing many original furniture, statues, paintings, tapestries, porcelain, Oriental rugs and other objects of art. Such rooms as the Council Chamber, the National Hall, the Throne Room, the Marble Room, the Great Assembly Room and many other interiors are true masterpieces of decorative art. One of the rooms in the King's Apartment is dedicated to the Warsaw views painted by famous Venetian artist Bernardo Belotto, sometimes known as Canaletto. In the Royal Castle collection also there are original works by Marcello Bocciarelli, including ceiling painting in one of the chambers of the King's Apartment.

The Royal Castle houses some very interesting temporary expositions. Among them - an exhibition of Greek jewelry, Rembrandt's drawings, the treasures of the Habsburgs, paintings by Raphael and Titian, and so on. The Royal Castle is also a place for concerts and music evenings. Two different festivals of chamber music are held annually at the Castle: the Mozart Festival in June and July, and the Festival of Ancient Music in November and December.

On Sundays the admission to the Royal Castle is free of charge.