Discover the Royal Residence

Introduction

Embark with us on a multidimensional, virtual journey through the summer residence of King Jan III at Wilanów. Journey through the nooks and crannies of history, the Palace chambers, and the Park pathways. Find out what life at the Palace has been like over the years.

A Museum of culture
and nature

Rich
history

The history of the Palace at Wilanów, the summer residence of King Jan III, begins in 1677 and continues to this day. It is filled with the stories of its outstanding residents and the actions of people who have connected their lives with this place and have made sure that subsequent generations can enjoy its beauty.

Wilanów Palace
today

Relax in the bosom of nature, experience the riches of art, history and architecture. The Palace at Wilanów is a place where you can relax and escape from everyday life. Feel the uniqueness of the moment. See what we've prepared for you.

Exhibitions

In the Palace, you can visit the Royal Apartments, filled with antique furniture and works of art. You can see the collections of paintings, sculptures and graphics assembled by the former owners. Be sure to check out the offer of temporary exhibitions that our team regularly prepares so that you can discover the Palace from another side.

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Workshops, classes, courses

Develop your passions, discover old crafts, and gain new skills. Learn the joys of Old Polish cuisine and the secrets of calligraphy and embroidery with us. Dance like a lady of the court, put on a traditional nobleman's kontusz, search for botanical treasures in the gardens.

The Collections

We are digitising our collections to make them even easier to access. Paintings, sculptures, graphics, everyday objects, documents -- all at your fingertips. Use the convenient search engine and immerse yourself in the world of King Jan III. And if you need materials in better quality, just let us know by using the form.

Plan of the Wilanów residence

Discover this amazing place! You can choose between a view of the park and the Palace and decide which floor to virtually explore. In the window next to the map you will see a photo and a brief description of the room. To learn more about it, click the arrow.

The Wilanów residence is divided into a palace and a park. The palace has a ground floor, ground floor, 1st floor and 2nd floor. In the right wing of the palace there is a ground floor with: Printing house, Bookstore, Showcases, Touch model of the palace, Cloakroom, Toilets, and a caregiver's room with a child.

There are two wings on the ground floor, the left one contains the following rooms: the Potocki Museum, consisting of: the Etruscan Study, the Picture Gallery called the "Museum", the Landscape Gallery, the Lower Hall, the Raspberry Salon, the Master's Bedroom and the Master's Office. The Royal Apartments are located in the main body of the palace and consist of: The Equestrian Statue of John III, the South Gallery, the King's Library, the Chapel, the Lapidarium, the King's Chamber, the King's Bedroom, the Chinese King's Study, the Great Hall, the Dutch Study, the Queen's Chamber, the Queen's Bedroom, and the Anti-Cabinet. the Queen and the Mirror Cabinet, the al Fresco Cabinet, the Cabinet in front of the Gallery, the Northern Gallery and the King's Wardrobe. In the right wing of the palace there is the White Hall and the Apartments of Princess Marshal Lubomirska, which include rooms such as: Princess Lubomirska's Bathroom, Rotunda and Chapel at the Lubomirska Bathroom, Princess Lubomirska's White Bedroom, Princess Lubomirska's Hall, Princess Lubomirska's Living Room, Princess Lubomirska's Golden Bedroom and the Office of Princess Lubomirska.

On the first floor, in the left wing, you will find the Temporary Exhibition Salon. In the main body of the palace there are the rooms of the Potocki Collection and the Sobieski Rooms, which consist of: the Three-Window Study, the Quiet Room, the Farfury Room, the Locci Rooms, the Middle Room and the Hall. On the same floor, in the right wing, we can visit the Storage Gallery, the Temporary Exhibition Room, the Hunting Rooms and the Chinese Rooms.

On the top, second floor there is one room - the Feast Hall.
The park and gardens surround the palace on all sides. There is a Foreground in front of the entrance to the building. After crossing the entrance gate, the Courtyard comes into view. On the left side of the palace there is: the Northern Garden, behind it the Flower Garden at Figarnia and the Garden at the Orangery. Further north we will see the Northern Landscape Park and the Morysin Nature Reserve. Behind the palace, to the east, there is a Baroque Garden. On the right side of the building we will see: the Rose Garden, the southern landscape park, the western farm and the eastern farm.
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History of the Royal
Residence

At Wilanów, you can experience the beauty and majesty of the royal residence. The Baroque Palace of Jan III with its surrounding historical gardens and nature reserve is a unique place where the monarch rested, spent time with his family, pursued research and horticultural passions, and conducted discussions – both political and scientific. In 1805, Stanisław Kostka Potocki made the interior of the Palace available to the public along with a rich collection of European and Far Eastern works of art and priceless souvenirs related to the history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Sobieski family. Today, it is a place to make contact with art, history and nature for all – to experience, watch, learn and live.

The Beginnings
of Wilanów

Discover the history of the place where King Jan III created his residence.

The 12th century

It is from this century that the first mention of the village of Milanów dates

A unique place
in the Vistula Valley

Wilanów Palace is located on a low slope on the shores of an oxbow lake remaining from the former course of the Vistula River. The proximity of the water transport route and lush nature made it an attractive place. The first traces of human presence in this area date back to prehistory, and continuity of settlement is evidenced since the end of the 11th century. In the following century, Olędry, settlers of Frisian and Netherlandish origin who were skilful in developing wetland areas economically, were brought here.

From Milanów
to Wilanów

The name of the village of Milanów was first recorded in the 12th century. In subsequent centuries, the village belonged to, among others, the Benedictine order, Trojden I, Duke of Masovia, and the knight Stanisław of Strzelczyków. In the middle of the 17th century, the village was owned by Bogusław Leszczyński, who began to build a manor here. Only the foundations were completed. In 1677, the property was purchased by King Jan III, through the agency of his friend Marek Matczyński.
"on a bank of the Vistula River, in one of the most beautiful areas, from where there was a breathtaking view. There are ten or twelve large islands on the Vistula. Looking at them, one can admire the wonderful effect that the numerous branches of the river create. Further on, its waters wash meadows that stretch to the horizon."
Philippe Dupont

King Jan III

A king for difficult times

King Jan III came from the Sobieski family. Although his fame resulted mainly from military triumphs, especially over the Ottoman Empire at Vienna, he also showed an interest in building his rule on the peaceful development of the sciences, arts, and agriculture.
Educated, well-travelled and experienced in political struggles, the ruler knew several languages and was interested in various fields of knowledge. He read every day, was a patron of scholars and artists, supported the publication of books on farming and construction, was interested in astronomy and cartography; at Wilanów, he wanted to establish a school educating native Polish artists.
Warrior and victor
Jan Sobieski (1629-1696) was the great-grandson of Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski and just like his illustrious ancestor, he enjoyed a brilliant military and political career. Among his greatest victories were the Battle of Khotyn in 1673, thanks to which a year later he was elected king of Poland, and the Battle of Vienna in 1683, providing him with international fame and the title of Defender of the Faith.

Baroque residence of King Jan III

Jan III needed a private residence far from the castle in Warsaw, one which was at the same time located close enough to the official residence not to lose sight of the course of state affairs. He was helped in his plans by a friend, Marek Matczyński, who brokered the purchase of the village of Milanów in 1677. The palace erected here, thanks to the rich decorations preserved to this day, is a testimony to the life and deeds of Sobieski – an outstanding leader, a learned king, a loving husband and father.
Ancient inspirations
The references to the deeds of Roman heroes, mythological stories and ancient authors which can be seen in the Palace decor helped Jan III to create a clear message addressed to the nobility of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This message communicated the duties and merits of a monarch ruling a multinational state, diverse in religion, culture and customs, and was also a testimony to the extensive interests and erudition of the King.

1677

The purchase of Milanów and the beginning of the construction of a Palace drawing on the forms of Italian villas; soon the village is renamed Wilanów, based on the name Villa Nova
Husband and father
Jan Sobieski was a loving husband and father. His marriage to Maria Kazimiera was based on love but was also a partnership, which can be seen in the decorations of the Palace. Four of their children survived into adulthood: Jakub, Teresa, Alexander, and Konstanty. The close family relations prevailing in the Sobieski family, at that time not very common at royal courts, made the residence at Wilanów a place full of warmth and cordiality.

Maria Kazimiera

Maria Kazimiera de la Grange d'Arquien, known as Marysieńka (1641-1716), came to Poland as a child to be a lady-in-waiting at the court of Queen Ludwika Maria Gonzaga. The beloved wife of Jan III, she actively supported his political activities. After the death of her husband, at the invitation of the Pope, she went to Rome, where, as Queen Dowager, through artistic patronage, she cultivated the memory of the achievements of Sobieski, the Defender of the Faith.

The beginnings of the Palace and gardens

Initially, a modest manor house was built in Wilanów; this was later expanded, drawing inspiration from Italian villas and French palace layouts between the courtyard and the garden. The axis of symmetry of the residence runs from east to west, dividing it into a southern part, housing the apartments of the King and a northern part, with the apartments of the Queen. The richly decorated Palace was surrounded by magnificent gardens, a menagerie and a grange.
1680
1692
1696
1733
1903
The gardener king
The Wilanów residence allowed Jan III to enjoy the closeness of nature – the King often supervised gardening works, and reportedly sometimes took part in them. Created according to the wishes of the monarch, the garden, the grange and menagerie, surrounded by meadows were simultaneously elements of a well-managed farm and a substitute for an idyllic, country life, a place of respite from the hardships of ruling the country.

Elżbieta
Sieniawska

Who was Elżbieta Sieniawska?

Elżbieta Sieniawska, from the illustrious and wealthy Lubomirski magnate family, was the owner of the Wilanów Palace in the years 1720-1729. Well educated and extremely enterprising, she was known as a great administrator of large landed estates and a political activist. She devoted a lot of attention and resources to artistic patronage and cultural activities, which for her were elements of a policy to enhance her prestige.

The woman who saved the Palace

After the death of Jan III, the residence had fallen into serious disrepair. Sieniawska bought Wilanów in 1720 from Prince Konstanty, and accounts of the course of the negotiations give an interesting insight into her political maturity and artistic consciousness. She brought in excellent artists and decided – in accordance with the original intentions of King Jan III – to expand the Palace with the addition of side wings. The interiors of the Palace, in turn, received magnificent painting and sculptural decorations.
A master of diplomacy
She grew up in an atmosphere of intense political debate. As a teenager, she joined the court of Maria Kazimiera, who became her mentor. Over time, they became friends, especially after the death of Jan III. Elżbieta supported the career of her husband, Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski, who largely thanks to her took up positions of the highest prestige in the country. Prudence and wealth allowed her to build and maintain a strong position in the political game. She was known as a generous protector, and at the same time a relentless and terribly dangerous opponent.

1720

Purchase of Wilanów by Elżbieta Sieniawska and expansion of the Palace with side wings
Busts over the portals leading to the towers
At the initiative of Elżbieta Sieniawska, sculptor Johann Georg Plersch made two busts crowning the portals leading to the Palace towers. There is a male bust on the south side and a female bust on the north side. In this second figure, some are inclined to see a portrait of Sieniawska herself – this would have then been a clear accent introducing the figure of the new owner into the content program of the former royal residence.
The Flora Fresco
A fresco made at the initiative of Sieniawska adorns the Lower Vestibule. It depicts the goddess Flora, to whom the painter gave the facial features of the then owner of Wilanów. This is a clear allusion to the images of Maria Kazimiera portrayed as the dawn or Astrea, decorating the Palace interiors. At the same time, this depiction of Flora welcomed guests entering the Palace from the north wing, clearly showing that the expansion and rich decorations of the former royal residence were the work of Elżbieta Sieniawska.

The guardian of memory

Elżbieta Sieniawska, despite changing fashions, expanded the Palace in accordance with the plans of King Jan III, and continued the decoration program initiated by him. She understood the value of the heritage of this great Polish monarch of European fame and the need to preserve this place for posterity. Thanks to her, the residence regained its splendour and became a place of memory dedicated to the victor of the Battle of Vienna. The residence was also an important element of the prestige of Elżbieta Sieniawska – rightly called the queen without a crown.
Elżbieta Sieniawska née Lubomirska, castellan of Krakow. Middle-aged woman in historical costume. It stands against the background of buildings and landscape.
Great manager
Elżbieta Sieniawska was extremely talented and enterprising, independent and brave. Her husband's career, which she skillfully supported, also provided her with wide opportunities. She managed large estates very well and made profits, among others. from calamine mining, paper mill operations and the production of luxury glassware. She took care of her numerous residences. She knew the law well. When she bought Wilanów, she had a vision for the development of the then dilapidated royal residence and funds to implement these plans.

Augustus II

King of Poland and Elector of Saxony

Augustus II the Strong (1670-1733), King of Poland from 1697, deposed in 1706-1709, came from the House of Wettin and was also the Elector of Saxony. He had ambitious political plans that he wanted to implement vigorously from the beginning of his rule. These plans were brought to nought by the Great Northern War (1700-1721), which ruined the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and plunged it into a political and economic crisis.
The reign of Augustus II saw more favourable results in the field of culture – great buildings were built at that time including Saxon Palace in Warsaw, numerous theatrical and carnival performances were organised. The Polish-Saxon contacts established at that time proved to be significant for social and economic affairs. However, it cannot be denied that Augustus II was a much better ruler for Saxony, which he led to prosperity, than of the Commonwealth.
Augustus II, Sobieski and Wilanów
The relations of Augustus II with the Sobieski heirs and Maria Kazimiera were at first cordial, but gradually began to deteriorate. During the Great Northern War, the monarch, fearing that Jakub Ludwik Sobieski would attempt to take his place on the throne, "pre-emptively" imprisoned him along with his brother Konstanty for 2 years. It is not surprising that the Sobieskis did not want to sell the Wilanów residence to Augustus II, which the latter persistently pursued from the first years of his rule. Ultimately, Elżbieta Sieniawska bought it, restoring its former splendour and significantly expanding it.

1730

Augustus II had wanted to buy Wilanów as early as the end of the 17th century. In 1730, he received the coveted residence for a lifetime lease

Reconstruction of the Palace interior

Augustus II tried to buy the Wilanów residence from the sons of Jan III, but he was outbid by Elżbieta Sieniawska. Her daughter Maria Zofia Denhoffowa, who was also the goddaughter of King Augustus II, leased the Palace to him in 1730 with the proviso that he would not change the basic shape of the building. It was during Augustus II's period of management that an impressive ballroom (the White Hall), a new Dutch Cabinet with illusionist painting on the ceiling, and the lacquered interior of the King's Chinese Cabinet.
Art connoisseur and theatre lover
Augustus II, a connoisseur of art, brought outstanding Saxon architects and craftsmen to Poland; he had a taste for operas and carnival fetes. He was fascinated by the art of the Far East. The alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger, who after years of experimentation had discovered a method of porcelain production, carried out the King's orders under strict supervision. This gave rise to the famous Meissen manufactory.

Izabela
Lubomirska

The Blue Marquise

Izabela Czartoryska née Lubomirska was the owner of the Wilanów estate in the years 1782-1799, but from as early as the 1770s she had a decisive influence on the shape of the residence, which at that time belonged to her father, August Aleksander Czartoryski.
She had a huge fortune, and was famous for her refined taste in fashion and art. She travelled a great deal, and was a good manager of her estates and residences in Warsaw and near Warsaw, as well as in Łańcut and Vienna. She bought numerous works of art abroad, and consulted on these purchases with her son-in-law, Stanisław Kostka Potocki.
Fashion lover
Numerous trips around Europe shaped Izabela Lubomirska's refined taste. She followed fashion and was one of the most elegant ladies in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. She loved beautiful clothes, especially in the colour blue, and prized expensive materials and jewellery. The princess's passions for the arts and collecting greatly influenced the design and furnishing of her many mansions.

1782

Wilanów became the property of Izabela Czartoryska née Lubomirska, daughter of August Czartoryski and Maria Zofia Sieniawska Wilanów in the times of Izabela Czartoryska née Lubomirska

Expansion of the royal residence

Izabela Lubomirska attached great importance to the design of her residences, employing recognised and proven artists. At Wilanów she charged these artists with the addition of a bathing pavilion to the south wing of the Palace, the Bathroom, while in the Courtyard she ordered the construction of a Kitchen Outbuilding and a Guardhouse. She modernised the Palace gardens, giving their southern part the character of an English park.

"I found that she had more sense and feeling than all the other women, ... I saw in her a person of a completely higher order, and I felt happy whenever she deigned to speak to me."

King Stanisław August
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    Stanisław Kostka Potocki
    and Aleksandra Potocka

    Stanisław Kostka Potocki and Aleksandra Potocka, creators of the Wilanów Museum

    Aleksandra Potocka, together with her husband Stanisław Kostka Potocki, inherited the Wilanów estate in 1799 from her mother, Izabela Lubomirska. In 1805, the Potockis opened the collection gathered in the Palace to the public, giving rise to the first art museum in Poland. The European and Far Eastern works of art presented in the Museum were intended to serve artistic education and shape the tastes of Poles during the period of the Partitions, when Poland was erased from the map of Europe. Aleksandra Potocka née Lubomirska (1758-1831) shared her husband's passion for collecting, ran a salon in Warsaw, was also an inspector of women's schools and a Freemason.

    1799

    Izabela Lubomirska passed the Wilanów property to her daughter, Aleksandra Potocka, the wife of Stanisław Kostka Potocki
    Politician
    Stanisław Kostka Potocki was an outstanding politician and publicist, educational reformer and promoter of education for women, active for many years in Freemasonry. He distinguished himself early on in his career during the work of the Great Sejm as a member of the Patriotic Party. In the Duchy of Warsaw, he held positions including president of the Council of Ministers, and in the Kingdom of Poland he was Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment.

    Stanisław Kostka Potocki

    Stanisław Kostka Potocki (1755-1821), a politician and educational reformer, wanted to present the history of art from antiquity to the present day in the Wilanów Museum and to cultivate the memory of Jan III. The King's and Queen's Apartments, mementos of the Sobieski family, decorations from the time of King Augustus II, and an excellent collection of European, Polish and Far Eastern art were made available to visitors.

    1805

    Opening the art collection gathered at Wilanów Palace to the public

    Stanisław Kostka Potocki – art connoisseur

    Stanisław Kostka Potocki was one of the first Polish archaeologists and art theorists. He was also an amateur architect, writer, patron of the arts, and collector. His translation of Johann Joachim Winckelmann's "Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums" (History of the Art of Antiquity) was the first textbook on the history of art in Polish. He undertook nine extended trips abroad, during which he became familiar with the monuments of antiquity, the works of great masters, and contemporary European culture.

    "In this Sejm, he showed both the greatest ability and the most sincere patriotism, as well as a great deal of moderation."

    King Stanisław II August

    Father and son – Alexander and August Potocki

    Stanisław Kostka and Aleksandra Potocki had worthy successors; a son, Aleksander (1776-1845) and a grandson, August (1806-1867). These latter enlarged the collection of works of art and adapted the interiors of the Palace to exhibit an increasingly rich collection. August built a plaque in the entrance to the North Gallery (which at that time functioned as a place for presenting paintings) with an inscription reflecting the idea of the Wilanów Museum: Cunctis patet ingressus – free admission for all.
    Aleksander Potocki – guardian of the memory of the family
    Aleksander Potocki was the only child of Aleksandra and Stanisław Kostka Potocki. He continued the work of his parents, developing the collection and adapting the Palace to exhibit it. In their honour, he founded a monumental Neogothic mausoleum in the Palace Foreground. He consolidated and arranged the extensive book collections of his father and his uncle, Ignacy, and in 1833 located them in the former Banqueting Hall of Jan III.

    Alexandra
    Potocka née Potocka

    Guardian of memory

    Alexandra Potocka (1818-1892) grew up at the Tsarist court in St. Petersburg. After the death of her husband August, she maintained the Wilanów residence independently for 25 years.
    She commissioned extensive restoration work, making significant changes to the decor of some interiors. She also supported the publication of the so-called "Wilanów Album", developed by Hipolit Skimborowicz and Wojciech Gerson; to this day it is an important resource showing the appearance of the Palace and its surroundings in the late 19th century in its numerous engravings.
    Plant lover
    Aleksandra Potocka had a keen interest in agriculture and horticulture. She participated in exhibitions organised by the Warsaw Agricultural and Horticultural Society. She won many honorary diplomas for plants grown in the Wilanów gardens. She invested in the development of fisheries, gardens and the Park.

    Philanthropist and benefactor

    Alexandra lived modestly, usually wearing black clothing, a symbol of national mourning, and she declined to organise dances and entertainments for herself or the household. She engaged in charitable activities, including supporting the children's hospital in Warsaw, impoverished women, students, and pupils. She was active in the Warsaw Charity Society and donated to many churches.

    Feliksa Egerówna on Alexandra

    "Having loved the country above all, she lived for it, worked in it, constantly fighting with those who voluntarily left it for a more comfortable life abroad."

    The Branicki
    Family

    The Wilanów estate after the death of Aleksandra Potocka 1892-1944
    After the death of Alexandra Potocka in 1892, her cousin, Ksawery Branicki (1864-1926), and subsequently his son, Adam Branicki (1892-1947), inherited the Wilanów estate. In the 1930s, Adam Branicki began to divide the estate into land allotments and sell them off, and in 1932 he donated the historic Wilanów Library collected by Potocki to the Polish state as a perpetual deposit. This collection is now in the National Library in Warsaw.
    In 1933, due to debts owed, the Palace's collections inherited by the Branicki family were pledged to the State Agricultural Bank. By the decision of the bank, the Museum, under the care of its curator, remained open until the outbreak of World War II. The Branicki family lived at the Palace until 1945.

    A branch of the National
    Museum in Warsaw

    Wilanów Palace as a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw

    After the Second World War, under the agricultural reform, the Wilanów estate became the property of the state. On January 28, 1945, the Palace and gardens along with the historic buildings became a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw. From the late 1940s until the mid-1950s, collections which had been repatriated from the territories of Germany, Austria and the USSR were returned to Wilanów.

    1945

    Establishment of Wilanów Palace
    as a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw

    Grand renovation

    In 1954, extensive restoration work was begun in the Palace and Park. The Museum was inaugurated on September 10, 1962, and two days later, on the anniversary of the relief of the Siege of Vienna, the Palace and gardens were opened to the public. In the 1970s, the number of visitors to the royal residence reached 400,000 persons per year.

    Rebuilding the collection

    The most important task after the Second World War was the restoration of the collection. Until 1949, there were continuous repatriation actions from the territories of Germany, Austria and the western lands incorporated into Poland after World War II. In 1951 and 1956, there were two major episodes of repatriation from the USSR of works of art "secured" by the Red Army which were returned to Wilanów.

    The Museum of
    King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów

    About the Museum

    In 1995, the Museum of the Palace at Wilanów become an independent institution subordinate to the Minister of Culture. In September 2013, it changed its name to the Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów. The Museum regularly organises temporary exhibitions, conferences and seminars, conducts scientific research, publishes numerous books, and organises educational classes devoted to the history, culture and nature of the Wilanów residence.

    1995

    Decision of the Minister of Culture and Arts on the establishment of an independent Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów
    The institution provides modern education and introduces new technologies to facilitate sightseeing and the care of monuments. On its website, a large repository of knowledge and educational resources, there are several thousand articles about the history and culture of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Museum is an active member of the European Royal Residences Association (ARRE, since 2006), the International Council of Museums (ICOM), and the European Route of Historic Gardens. In the years 2016-2019, it acquired part of the Wilanów historic grange in order to develop social programs and improve the safety conditions of monuments.
    Maintenance and revitalisation
    Since 2003, the Museum has been carrying out intensive restoration work. Conservation activities included the façades and interiors of the Palace along with their furnishings, part of the Park and the Foreground. Most of the work has been funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The Museum works with respect for tradition and always focuses on the experience of the original, at the same time using scientific advances, new methods and technologies of conservation and documentation, as well as modern management systems.

    A Museum of culture
    and nature

    The Wilanów residence is the best preserved Baroque royal palace in Poland, including an extensive park with various garden facilities, the Morysin nature reserve, and a lake. The Museum safeguards the resources of both culture and nature, striving for sustainable development and preservation for future generations of this unique place.
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