The Royal Palace is the main attraction of Warsaw. The palace was built in the early 17th century in the Baroque style, and subsequently reconstructed in the classical style. In 1944, the Royal Palace was blown up by German troops, but after the war it was completely restored.
The Royal Palace of Warsaw is sometimes called the Royal Castle. It is located in the southern part of the former Old Town of Warsaw, which was fenced with fortress walls. At this point, the city could be entered through the Krakow fortress gates. In the Middle Ages, the castle of the princes of the Masovian Principality was located on this site.
In 1596, King Sigismund III moved the capital of the Polish state from Krakow to Warsaw. In 1598, he began to build a new Royal Palace, which also became the meeting place of the Polish Sejm and Senate. In 1622, the Royal Palace acquired its modern appearance after the construction of a pentagonal courtyard. Since then, the palace has become the session’s place of the highest institutions of the Polish State.
During the reign of Stanislav Poniatowski, in the second half of the 18th century, the Royal Palace acquired the architectural features of classicism that became fashionable. The interiors of the palace have also been redesigned to meet the new tastes of its owners. At that time, a long building of the Royal Library was built in the palace, which connected the Royal Palace with a small Baroque Palace "Under the Plaque". Since 1777, it has been owned by King Stanislav Poniatowski. The expression "under the Plaque" means under the "copper roof", since the roof of the palace is covered with copper sheets. This palace was the main "salon of Warsaw", balls and various events were held here.
Before the outbreak of WWII, the collections of the National Museum were moved to the Royal Palace, but during the storming of Warsaw in 1939, the palace was severely damaged. It was in this state until 1944, when the Warsaw Uprising began. During the suppression of the uprising, the Royal Palace, as well as other buildings of the Old Town of Warsaw, were blown up.
In 1971, the Warsaw authorities began the restoration of the Royal Palace. Nothing has been preserved from the former palace, so a new building was actually built on the old site, but the Poles very accurately restored not only the appearance of the Royal Palace, but also its interiors of the Stanislaw Poniatowski era.
Now the Royal Palace is a Museum where you can see paintings by famous artists. Of great interest are the restored interiors of the state halls: the Council Hall, the New Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of the Sejm, the Knight`s Hall, the Throne Room and others.
