European Ribbon

📖 Introduction

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is an extraordinary edifice on Europe’s map. It symbolizes Polish statehood and sovereignty. In theory, it should not exist today; it should not even stand. Yet, at the close of 1944, it was obliterated by Hitler’s command, reduced to an immense heap of debris. However, like a phoenix emerging from the ashes, it stands tall today. Reconstructed through the collective endeavor of the entire nation, unified after years of degradation and indoctrination, it has been reborn in all its splendor. Between 1971 and 1984, meticulous reconstruction restored its early Baroque architecture, and once again, it houses works of the highest artistic caliber.

Under the rule of the Mazovian dukes

The Royal Castle in Warsaw has a rich history dating back to the Middle Ages. Originally established as a defensive stronghold, it served as the residence of the Mazovian dukes. During Duke Trojden I’s reign (1314-1341), it stood as one of the ruler’s abodes. Around that time, the Great Tower—a stone-brick structure—was erected, with its lower portion still intact today. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Duke Janusz I the Elder (1374-1429) expanded the Castle. During this period, the main building, called the Grand Court, was constructed, featuring a three-story Gothic facade adorned with decorative facades and gables. The duke resided on the upper floor, while underground chambers likely held the ducal treasury. The high ground floor hosted Mazovian assemblies, and beneath the Great Tower, prisoners were confined in the Prison Cellar. On the city side, beneath the western wing of the Castle, there were two basement chambers of the Earthly Courts building, known as the Court Shed. In the northern part, near St. John’s Church, there existed a complex of buildings known as the Lesser Court, traditionally inhabited by the mothers, wives, and sisters of the Mazovian dukes.

The Castle’s significance is underscored by its hosting of the first visit by the Polish king and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Władysław Jagiełło, in 1426. After the last Mazovian dukes passed away without heirs in 1524 and 1526, the duchy and the Castle legally came under the possession of Polish king Sigismund I the Old, who established it as the permanent residence of the royal governor and Warsaw castellan.

Under the rule of Jagiellon dynasty

During the Jagiellon dynasty, the Warsaw Castle served as one of the king’s many residences. However, the primary seat of the kings was the Royal Castle on Wawel Hill in Kraków. After the king’s passing, Queen Bona resided in Warsaw from 1548 to 1556, along with her daughters, occupying rooms in the Lesser Court. Following her departure to Italy, King Sigismund August frequented the Castle, where parliamentary sessions were held. Anna Jagiellonka (1523-1596), the king’s sister and wife of Poland’s subsequent monarch, Stefan Batory, permanently lived in the Lesser Court. In 1569, after the Union of Lublin united Poland and Lithuania, Warsaw and the Castle became the permanent meeting place for the Republic’s parliament.

King Sigismund August initiated the Castle’s reconstruction, led by architects Giovanni Battista Quadro and Bernando Morando. Although no longer extant, the project expanded the Grand Court and introduced the New Royal House—a structure featuring an observatory room called the Altana on the second floor. King Sigismund August resided in the Castle from late 1568 until shortly before his death in 1572.

The Vasa dynasty 

After the Jagiellonian era on the Polish throne, the kings from the Swedish Vasa dynasty ascended. The Castle’s strategic location, convenient for the monarch’s travels to Sweden, played a role in the decision to permanently move the court to Warsaw. In the late 16th century, significant construction activity transformed the Castle into the grand edifice we see today.

The expansion, carried out between 1600 and 1619, resulted in a five-winged structure. The inner courtyards—known as the Great Courtyard (Dziedziniec Wielki) and the Front Courtyard (Dziedziniec Przedni)—aligned along perpendicular axes defined by three gates and towers. Architects Santi Gucci, Giacoppo Rodondo, and Matteo Castello led this transformation. Matteo Castello, in particular, collaborated with renowned Roman architect Carlo Maderno, famous for expanding St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

During the 17th century, specifically under the reign of Władysław IV, the Castle was fortified from the side facing the Vistula River. It was during this time that the courtyard gained the impressive St. John’s Gate (Brama Świętojańska), and the Column of Sigismund III Vasa was erected near the city gate. The Italian architect Giovanni Battista Gisleni contributed to the decorative elements of the Władysław Tower, the gate portals facing the Great Courtyard, and the exquisite interior design of the Marble Room.

The Castle’s splendor reached its peak during the Vasa dynasty’s rule, making it one of Europe’s most magnificent royal residences. However, this golden era eventually waned. The years 1655-56 witnessed the Swedish Deluge and three occupations of Warsaw, resulting in damage to the Castle’s architecture and the looting of its interiors. King John II Casimir Vasa and Queen Ludwika Maria found refuge in the suburban Kazimierzowski Palace upon their return from exile.

The Wettin dynasty

The Castle was relatively quickly rebuilt after the destruction caused by the Swedes. Already in the summer of 1658, the first Sejm (parliament) took place within its walls. The Castle served as a venue for court and state ceremonies, including the wedding of King John III Sobieski to Maria Kazimiera d’Arquien. Although Sobieski mainly visited Warsaw during parliamentary sessions, he divided his time between the Castle and the new suburban royal residence—the summer palace in Wilanów.

Significant construction work began during the reign of King Augustus II of the Wettin dynasty. The Senate Hall was renovated, and the Grodzka Tower was extended. As a result, the entire pentagonal Castle now had two floors and a uniform roof. On May 25, 1702, the Swedes once again occupied the Castle, using it as a hospital. The Poselska Hall and ministerial chambers were converted into stables. In 1707, under the peace treaty between Augustus II and Charles XI king od Sweden, allied Russian forces entered Warsaw, and the Castle became the residence of Tsar Peter the Great. However, two months later, retreating Russian troops looted the Castle, stealing valuable artworks, including pieces by the renowned Italian painter Tommaso Dolabella, such as “The Conquest of Smolensk” and “The Homage of Sigismund III by the Tsars of Muscovy.”

During the mid-18th century, under the rule of Augustus III, a late Baroque wing was added on the side facing the Vistula River. This wing housed an annex, with its ground floor still preserved today, hidden within the Kubicki Arcades.

The Last King

The last Polish monarch Stanisław August Poniatowski, inherited the Castle in poor condition. From the beginning of his reign in 1764 until his abdication in 1795, he embarked on plans for its restoration and reconstruction. This period marked the Castle’s greatest splendor. As a patron of artists and craftsmen, King Stanisław August initiated eleven major reconstruction projects for the Castle.

The first court architect, Jakub Fontana, designed five of these projects. Unfortunately, financial difficulties faced by the monarchy and the unstable political situation hindered the execution of the commissioned plans.

In 1767, the southern wing of the Castle was destroyed by fire, but it was rebuilt according to Fontana’s design. New interiors, including the Grand Staircase (Schody Wielkie) and the Crown Guard Halls, were arranged. The Marble Room was also restored. After Fontana’s death, Domenico Merlini assumed his position. Under Merlini’s supervision, the Royal Apartment, Audience Room, Prospect Hall, and the new Throne Room were created. Additionally, the Royal Library was established, housing a collection of 16,000 volumes.

In 1776, King Stanisław August purchased the Tin-Roofed Palace (Pałac pod Blachą), whose extended northern wing connected to the main library hall.

During Stanisław August’s reign, the Castle witnessed significant historical events. Most notably, on May 3, 1791, in the Senate Hall, the Great Sejm (parliament) enacted the first written constitution in Europe.

After his abdication in January 1795, the King left the Castle, and Poland disappeared from the map of Europe for the next 123 years, divided and occupied by Prussia, Austria, and Russia.

19th and 20th Century

In the early 19th century, the Castle served as an official building for various occupiers. In 1806, Emperor Napoleon stayed there and subsequently established the Duchy of Warsaw (1807-1815). After the fall of the November Uprising in 1831, the Castle became the residence of imperial governors. During this time, efforts were made to erase Polish cultural traces, including removing decorations from the Marble Hall, and eliminating the Senate Hall. Additional reconstruction plans were developed during the Kingdom of Poland period (1815-1832), including the creation of the “Kubicki Arcades,” a wide terrace on the Saxon façade designed by Jakub Kubicki between 1818 and 1821.

Throughout the 19th century, the Castle witnessed significant historical events. In 1831, the dethronement of Tsar Nicholas I was proclaimed within its walls. Later, in 1863, Russian troops brutally suppressed social demonstrations following the outbreak of the January Uprising.

After Poland regained independence, the Castle regained its status as a representative building. From 1920, it served as the residence of the Head of State, and from 1926, the President of the Republic.

World War II sealed the fate of the Castle. In September 1939, bombs struck the Grand Hall, causing the ceiling adorned with Bacciarelli’s paintings to collapse. A fire ravaged the castle roofs. Art historians, architects, and castle staff salvaged everything they could. After the Germans occupied Warsaw, they began looting artworks, dismantling floors, and taking sculptures, exploiting hundreds of forced Jewish laborers. Only a few elements of the interior were allowed to remain, thanks to a Polish team supervised by Professor Stanisław Lorentz. In freezing temperatures, they disassembled everything salvageable from the Castle. Within three weeks, nearly 80% of the Castle’s former glory was transported to the National Museum’s cellars. Urgency was paramount because on September 4, 1939, Adolf Hitler sentenced the Castle. A massive drilling operation commenced, creating thousands of holes in the Castle walls, which were to be blown up. The final verdict was executed during the Warsaw Uprising between September 8 and 13, 1944.

Castle Reconstruction

Little remained after the destruction of 1944: the ground floor, the lower part of the Castle Tower, the Royal Library Building, and the Kubicki Arcades. In 1949, the Legislative Sejm passed a resolution to rebuild the Royal Castle, but due to financial constraints and other communist priorities, the prospects seemed bleak. The communist authorities generally opposed reconstructing the former residence of Polish kings, leading to multiple delays and interruptions in the project. It wasn’t until January 1971, leveraging a political breakthrough in Poland, that a group led by National Museum Director Stanisław Lorentz managed to secure a decision to rebuild the Castle.

Under the guidance of Jan Bogusławski, the architects aimed to recreate the building’s shape and interior layout from 1939, utilizing all preserved and salvaged elements. While the Castle’s exterior was ready by 1974, interior reconstruction continued for another 10 years. On August 31, 1984, the Castle opened to the public. Remarkably, Stanisław Lorentz’s vision was funded entirely by social contributions from Poles residing both within the country and abroad, without a single złoty from the state budget.

In 1980, the Royal Castle, along with the Old Town, was inscribed on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.

🚶🏻‍♀️Visit

The Royal Castle in Warsaw is explored along a path known as the Royal Route. This route leads from the most representative rooms on the first floor to the original castle cellars

The first floor is divided into five sections. The largest of these occupies the northern wing and houses the Grand Apartment. Within this suite of rooms, you’ll find the Council Hall, where the first permanent government in Poland held its sessions, as well as the dazzling Grand Hall (also known as the Ballroom). To this day, important state ceremonies involving high-ranking officials take place in the Grand Hall.

The reconstructed ceiling of the ballroom features Bacciarelli’s magnificent fresco titled “Unraveling Chaos,” the original of which was destroyed by the first bombs that fell on the Castle on September 17, 1939. The Grand Apartment concludes with a splendid antechamber known as the Marble Room, adorned with portraits of 22 Polish kings.

Continuing further, we arrive at the Royal Apartment located in the southern wing. Here lies the Yellow Room, where King Stanisław August Poniatowski hosted renowned poets, writers, and scholars for famous Thursday dinners. Additionally, we’ll see the reconstructed King’s Study and his Bedroom. Notably, the corner room in the southern wing is named the Canaletto Room. Its interior was entirely designed to accommodate the remarkable paintings of Venetian artist Bernard Bellotto, known as Canaletto. These extraordinary paintings serve as invaluable sources of knowledge for architects reconstructing post-war Warsaw’s buildings.

The next part of the tour leads through the Prince Stanisław Apartments. Initially inhabited by the king’s nephew, Kazimierz Poniatowski’s son, and later by Maria Augusta of the Wettin dynasty, these apartments were also the residence of President Ignacy Mościcki from 1927 to 1938.

Given that the Royal Castle served not only as a royal residence but also as a public building, the subsequent section houses impressive Sejm Halls. Among these, the most magnificent is the Senate Hall, where the Constitution of May 3, 1791, was adopted.

The first floor concludes with the Prince’s Rooms, used by the king’s sons. These consist of three rooms and a gallery.

On the Castle’s ground floor, auxiliary rooms were once used for courtly purposes, and during the 16th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Sejm convened here. Today, we’ll pass through the Lanckoroński Galleries, featuring paintings and sculptures.

The final segment of the tour leads through the cellars, which largely survived the war. In addition to the cloakroom, you’ll find exhibitions located in the Studzienna and Więzienna  cellars beneath the Castle Tower.

✔ Planner

• Ticket Counters 🆓 are located at the entrance from the W-Z route, near the Grodzka Gate.🏰We recommend familiarizing yourself with the interactive model, which will undoubtedly help with orientation. Tickets can also be bought online for specific tour times.  ⌛
• On Wednesdays, Royal Route tours are free 🆓, and it’s the only route available on that day.
• Consider adding an audio guide to your ticket purchase. 📳

• Admission is free for children under 7 and for holders of the Polish Card. Children aged 7-16 can purchase tickets for just 1 zł. Additionally, various discounts are available, which you can explore on the museum’s website.