Description of the attraction
The Karol Szymanowski Museum is a museum located in the Polish city of Zakopane. Villa Atma is the place where Karol Szymanowski spent six years of his life. Currently, the museum contains things related to the work and personal life of the Polish composer.
Villa Atma was built at the end of the 19th century as a guest house in the popular chalet style by the Polish architect Józef Kasprus-Stoch. In 1930, the Atma villa was rented by the Polish composer Karol Shamanovsky, who wrote the II Violin Concerto and the IV Concert Symphony here. The villa became his permanent residence after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and left his position as director of the Warsaw Conservatory in 1930. Among the artists who visited a friend at the villa were: Arthur Rubinstein, Serge Lifar and Emil Mlunarski. In 1935, the composer went to Switzerland for treatment, where he died.
The idea of creating the museum belonged to the composer's niece Christina Dabrowski, who initiated fundraising for the purchase of the villa in 1972. In 1974, Villa Atma was transferred to the National Museum of Krakow, which began a two-year renovation. The museum was opened on March 6, 1976. At the Atma villa, the interior of the composer's house was restored from photographs and various documents.
In March 2007, two portraits of the composer by Witkiewicz were returned to the museum, which until 1936 were part of the original interior of the villa.
The villa currently hosts concerts and themed seminars.
