Royal Castle, Warsaw

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is a famous museum and a very important historical place in Poland. It used to be where Polish kings and queens lived and worked from the 1500s until Poland was divided up in 1795. The castle is located in Castle Square, right at the start of the Old Town, and it has many beautiful pieces of Polish and European art.

Many big moments in Poland's history happened at the Royal Castle. For example, the Constitution of 3 May 1791, which was the first constitution of its kind in Europe, was written there. During World War II, the castle was badly damaged, but people worked hard to rebuild it. Today, it looks much like it did in the 1600s.

In 1980, the Royal Castle and the nearby Old Town were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the most visited museums in Poland and in the whole world, with over two million people coming to see it each year.

History

Main article: History of the Royal Castle, Warsaw

The Royal Castle in Warsaw has a long and important history. It dates back to the 14th century when the first Castle Tower was built. It was used as a home for local leaders and later became a key place for Polish kings and important meetings.

In the early 1600s, it was chosen to replace another castle in Kraków as the main home for the king and the government. Over the years, many famous artists added beautiful paintings, sculptures, and decorations to the castle. Sadly, during wars, much of the art was lost or taken away.

The castle saw many changes over the centuries. It was used for important meetings, celebrations, and even as a home for leaders from other countries. After World War II, the castle was badly damaged, but efforts were made to rebuild it. Today, it stands as a important museum and reminder of Poland's rich history.

Today

The Royal Castle in Warsaw has a grand face made of brick that stretches 90 metres (300 ft) long and looks out onto Castle Square. At each end of this face are square towers with round, bulbous tops. In the middle stands Sigismund's Tower, a huge clock tower that is 60 metres (200 ft) tall. Designed in the 17th century, it has inspired many other buildings in Warsaw. Today, the castle is a museum under the care of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. It is also a place where important visitors and meetings take place.

Interior

The Royal Castle in Warsaw has many rooms that were carefully restored after being damaged in World War II.

The Jagiellonian Rooms once belonged to King Sigismund Augustus and now display portraits of the Jagiellon dynasty, a royal family from Lithuania that ruled many countries in Europe from the 1300s to the 1500s. These rooms also feature a modern gallery of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.

The Houses of Parliament were important in Polish history. In 1573, changes were made to Poland's constitution here, and in 1791, Europe's first modern national constitution was written. These rooms have decorations that copy the original designs.

The Royal Apartments were home to King Stanisław Augustus Poniatowski. They include a room with paintings of Warsaw and special wallpaper created by an artist named Jean-Baptiste Pillement. The Lanckoroński Collection includes famous paintings by Rembrandt and a special violin made by Antonio Stradivari in 1685, named Polonia.

Copper-Roof Palace

Main article: Copper-Roof Palace

The Copper-Roof Palace has been a part of the Royal Castle Museum since 1989. It is right next to Warsaw's Royal Castle, near Castle Square and the Old Town. It was first built between 1651 and 1656 as a home for a man named Wawrzyniec Reffus. After being damaged in 1657, it was rebuilt again between 1698 and 1701 for a noble named Jerzy Dominik Lubomirski.

Lubomirski added new parts to the palace, and it became known as Palais Martin after his grandson. In 1720, more rooms were added, and the inside was painted in beautiful styles. Later, it became owned by Poland's last king, Stanisław II Augustus, who updated the rooms and gave it to his nephew, Prince Józef Poniatowski. Poniatowski was a brave leader in battles and a close friend of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The palace was badly damaged in 1944 but was carefully rebuilt using old paintings as guides. Today, it is a museum with special displays of beautiful carpets and art from faraway places, given to the museum by a woman named Teresa Sahakian.

Interesting facts

• On 24 May 1829, Nicholas I of Russia was crowned King of Poland in the Royal Castle's Senator's Hall.
• 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.
• Important symbols of Poland, such as Stanisław Augustus Poniatowski's Order of the White Eagle and special swords, are kept in the Royal Chapel.
• The Royal Castle also stores important items related to the President of Poland, which were given to Lech Wałęsa by Ryszard Kaczorowski on 22 December 1990.
• Many Polish legends are connected with the Royal Castle.
• The Royal Castle in Warsaw is part of the Association of the Royal Residences of Europe.
• In 2014, the National Bank of Poland made a special 5 zloty coin showing the Royal Castle.

Chicago replica

In 1979, the Gateway Theatre in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago was bought by the Copernicus Foundation. They wanted to turn it into a place for Polish culture. They kept the inside of the building just as it was, but changed the outside and added a Neo-Baroque clock tower to make it look like the Royal Castle in Warsaw. This was done to honor Chicago's large Polish populace, which is the biggest group of Polish people living outside of Poland.