The Branicki Palace ( pl, Pałac Branickich ) is an 18th-century

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

in Warsaw, Poland. It is located at the junction of ''Podwale'' and ''

Miodowa Miodowa (lit. ''Honey Street'') is a street in Warsaw's Old Town. More precisely, it links the Krakowskie (Cracow Suburb) Street in with Krasiński Square. It is also the name of a street in the Kazimierz district in Kraków. History In the 16 ...

'' Streets.

History

The Palace is one of three with the same name in Warsaw. This particular Branicki Palace is on

Miodowa Street Miodowa (lit. ''Honey Street'') is a street in Warsaw's Old Town. More precisely, it links the Krakowskie (Cracow Suburb) Street in with Krasiński Square. It is also the name of a street in the Kazimierz district in Kraków. History In the 16th ...

(the others are located on Nowy Świat Street and ''Na Skarpie'' Avenue). Izabella Poniatowska Branicka

The original building that stood where the palace now stands was a 17th-century

of the

Sapieha The House of Sapieha (; be, Сапега, ''Sapieha''; lt, Sapiega) is a Polish-Lithuanian noble and magnate family of Lithuanian and Ruthenian origin,Энцыклапедыя ВКЛ. Т.2, арт. "Сапегі" descending from the med ...

family sold in the beginning of the 18th century to Stefan Mikołaj Branicki. This led to the current palace, built in 1740 by Johann Sigmund Deybel for Grand Crown Hetman Jan Klemens Branicki. Jan Henryk Klemm (1743),

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 ...

(1750) and sculptor Jan Chryzostom Redler also participated in the construction. The now rococo palace was inspired by French palaces. The layout was shaped like a horseshoe, with a central part '' corps de logis'' and two side wings. The building was set back from the street by a '' cour d'honneur'', a symmetrical courtyard set apart in this way, at which the honored visitors arrived. The façades were balanced with admirable rococo decoration and rooftop windows. The main entrance was decorated with a portico of four columns with sculptures on the top. The interiors were decorated in the rococo style by Johann Sigmund Deybel and Jakub Fontana. Later, a pavilion called "Buduar" was added to the south wing at the back. The Branicki Palace previously had been called the ''Mrs Krakowska Palace'', because after Branicki's death the property was inherited by his beautiful wife Izabella Poniatowska (1771), sister of king

Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1764 to 1795, and the last monarch ...

(Izabella was a daughter of

Stanisław Poniatowski Stanisław Poniatowski was the name of several Polish nobles: * Stanisław Poniatowski (1676–1762), castellan of Kraków * Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732–1798), last King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania * Stanisław Poniatowski (1754 ...

Castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

of Kraków). She held a

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

in the palace, and became known as a patron and gatherer of artists, intellectuals, and statesmen in the era of

Enlightenment in Poland The ideas of the Age of Enlightenment in Poland were developed later than in Western Europe, as the Polish bourgeoisie was weaker, and szlachta (nobility) culture (Sarmatism) together with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth political system (Gol ...

. Shortly afterwards the Branicki Palace was sold in 1804 to the general Józef Niemojewski. The new owner improved the palace - two side outbuildings were added to the palace complex in 1804-1808 by architect Fryderyk Albert Lessel. From 1817 the palace was inhabited by the

Stanisław Sołtyk Stanisław Sołtyk (12 December 1753 – 4 June 1831) was a Polish nobleman (szlachcic), political activist, landowner, father of Roman Sołtyk. Stanisław was born in Krysk near Płońsk. He became Royal chamberlain in 1780, Great Podstoli ...

. During the Second World War, the estate was badly damaged (it was burned down in 1939 and demolished by the Germans during the Occupation of Poland), but after the war it was completely restored. It was rebuilt in 1967, based on paintings by Bernardo Bellotto, and now houses Warsaw City Hall.

Images

File:Bellotto Miodowa Street in Warsaw.jpg, File:Ruiny pałacu Branickich przy ul. Miodowej.jpg, File:Warszawa pałac Branickich (Miodowa).jpg, File:2 Palac Branickich 02.jpg, File:Miodowa 6-Podwale 3.JPG, File:Miod24DSC 1231.jpg, File:Miodowa 6 rzeźby 2.JPG,

References

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History

Images

See also

References

See also