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POLAND 87

KEY DATES
Early 1300s 1598 1931)-44 1980 1984
The dukes of Mazovia Constructbn begins The Royal Castle The Old Town and castle The restored Royal castle
build a fortress on the on the Baroque is destroyed in become a UNESCO opens to the public.
site of the Royal Castle. addition. World War II. World Heritage Site.

CONSTITUTION
The Constitution of May 3 was an
experiment in democratic reform-
Knights' Hall INSIDE lHE CASTLE
The finest piece in the first of its kind in Europe.
this beautiful room Members of Poland's parliament The Royal Castle's fascinating interior is the
is the Neo-CI assi cal had to swear an oath of allegiance result of its dual role as a royal residence and
sculpture of Chronos to it in StJohn's Cathedral. as the seat of the Sejm (parliament). A tour of
by Jakub Monaldi (right). _
~ Marble the castle visits lavish royal apartments as well
Room as the Deputies' Chamber and the Senate.
Rooms have been meticulously reconstructed in
the style of the 18th century, and many of the
furnishings and objets d'art are original to the
lanckoronski Gallery
This second-floor gallery contains castle. These include statues, paintings, and
two paintings by Rembrandt- even fragments of woodwork and stucco that
Portrait of a Young Woman and were rescued from the building and hidden
Scholar at his Desk.
during World War II. The Canal etto Room
displays the 18th-century paintings of Warsaw
by an Ita I ian artist that were used as source
material for the rebuilding of the castle.
Royal Apartments
King Stanislaw's bedroom,
dressing room and study THE GALLERIES
were located here. Among the many permanent exhibitions in
the castle, two galleries are of particular
interest. The Gallery of Decorative Arts is a
showcase for 17th-18th century ceramics,
glass, furniture, textiles, bronzes, silverware,
and jewelry. Around 200 pieces are on display,
including an Etruscan vase saved from the
original castle.ln the Lanckoronski Gallery
there are paintings from the former royal
gallery of King Stanislaw August Poniatowski,
donated by the Lanckoronski family in 1994.
The collection includes works by Rembrandt,
Teniers the Younger, and Anton von Maron.

POLAND'S LAST KING
Born in 1732, King S tanis/aw August
Poniatowski (r 1764-95) was the son of the
palatine of Mazovia. He spent his early life in
St Petersburg, where he was introduced to
the future empress, Catherine the Great, who
took him as her lover. Russia was eager to add
Poland to its empire and, perhaps to this
end, Catherine promised the Polish crown to
Poniatowski. When he fell out of favor and
was sent back to Warsaw, she engineered
his election as king of Poland in 1764. He
introduced economic reforms, promoted
~ Apartment of Prince the arts and sciences, and presided over the
Stanistaw Poniatowski adoption of the Constitution of May 3, 1791.
The Rococo paneling here,
thought to be by Just~Aur~le But Poniatowski was unable to repel his mighty
Meissonier, was taken from the neighbors by 1795 Poland had lost its state-
former Tarnowski Palace. hood and the king was forced to abdicate.