Description of the attraction
The Potocki Palace is a baroque palace located on Krakowskie Przedmiescie opposite the Presidential Palace, surrounded by many historical architectural monuments. Currently, the palace houses the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The palace was originally built for the German noble family Denhoff in 1693 under the direction of the architect Giovanni Pioli. In 1731, the building became the property of August Alexander Czartoryski, a Polish major general and a prominent politician. In the early 1760s, the Czartoryski family began renovating the palace, during which the building was enlarged and the design was redesigned in the late Baroque and Rococo styles. The famous architect Jakub Fontana worked on the palace. Outbuildings were erected, two wings overlooking the street, a pavilion with a mansard roof. A guardhouse was built between them in 1763 with sculptures by Sebastian Seysel and Jan Redler. The splendid Rococo style fence was created by the renowned craftsman Leandro Marconi. After all the renovations were completed, the Czartoryski Palace became one of the most luxurious residences in Warsaw.
In 1799, the palace became the property of Stanislav Potocki, Count and President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Poland. In the 19th century, many important political figures visited the palace, including Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1812, the French ambassador Dominique Dufour de Pradt lived in the palace. Under Alexander Pototsky, the palace was partially rented out. At different times, it housed: a bookstore, an atelier, a gallery for art exhibitions, the headquarters of the Swedish Embassy.
During the Second World War, the Potocki Palace was almost completely destroyed. In the post-war years, it was decided to restore the lost palace. Reconstruction lasted until 1950 according to the project of Jan Zakhvatovich. Of the original details of the palace, which miraculously survived, the Corps de Garde with sculptures by Sebastian Seysel and the gate of Leandro Marconi remained.
