Branickis' Palace

Main data:

Year of construction: 1753
Year of reconstruction: 1949
Designers: Jan Zygmunt Deybel
Location: ul. Miodowa 6

This beautiful, rococo palace is situated at Miodowa street, no. 6, opposite the exit of the tunnel of WZ Highway. At first sight this building may look a little bit shapeless - it is very long and quite low. But if we look at it carefully, we should really like it. The elevation is full of sculptures and ornaments. Thanks to those numerous (but not overloaded) decorations and sober colours, the building really has its class. The elevation from Miodowa street is situated just next to the carriageway, and from Podwale street there is a courtyard and annexes.

Branickis' Palace is named after Jan Klemens Branicki, the Grand Hetman of the Crown (head officer of the Polish army). The building was erected as his Warsaw residence. It was designed by Jan Zygmunt Deybel, its construction took place between 1740 and 1753. In the second half of 18th century the building was owned by Izabela Branicka, sister of the king Stanislaw August Poniatowski. The interiors of the palace were re-arranged at that time, according to the design by Jan Chrystian Kamsetzer, the court architect of the king Stanislaw August. Later, the palace changed its owner a few times, in the beginning of 19th century it was owned by Niemojewskis family, later by Stanislaw Soltyk and after him - by Franciszek Salezy Potocki. He was the landlord until 1940s, when the communistic authorities confiscated the palace, according to so-called Bierut Decree (Dekret Bieruta) - the law of nationalization of all land property in Warsaw - its intention was to simplify the reconstruction of the capital city, but in practice it was really unjust for pre-war landlords.

Unfortunately the palace was burned in 1939, and totally destroyed in 1944. Its reconstruction took place in years 1948-49. The painting "Miodowa street" from 1777, by Bernardo Bellotto - Canaletto (the most famous painter of Warsaw panoramas) was very helpful for this purpose. In pre-war times the buildings was one of the offices of the Town Hall, but in 2008 it was regained by successors of Franciszek Salezy Potocki.

Among many sculptures of the building we can see a figure of a monkey. It is situated on the southern corner of the building (so on the one closest to the intersection of Miodowa and Senatorska streets). There is an anecdote connected with it. As it was said, the building was reconstructed after the war, basing on the image from Canaletto's painting. Supposedly, the artist, although he really put much stress on details' accuracy, used to add some fictitious items on his paintings. This monkey was supposed to be one of such additions. But, because the palace was reconstructed after the war exactly as in was on the painting, the monkey became real in such way. :)