Elements of the architecture of the royal residence from the 17th century have been deposited with the Polish History Museum, the press office of the institution announced on Wednesday. These are marble fragments of wall coverings and part of a tile with the image of a mermaid excavated from the bottom of the Vistula River.
The artifacts found in the river were handed over to the director of the Polish History Museum, Robert Kostro, by Professor Wojciech Fałkowski, head of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Among them there are three marble fragments of the lower part of wall coverings from the paneling of the palace interior. Another valuable artifact is a ceramic fragment of a tile with the image of a mermaid.
Fragments of Villa Regia fished out of the Vistula
“These unique items were discovered in the place where Swedish ships transporting the looted wealth of the then Warsaw were sunk in 1656. The works of art transported to Gdańsk and then to Sweden contained, among others, architectural elements from the interior design of the Warsaw royal palace Villa Regia” – explains the press office of the Polish History Museum in a press release.
The palace was built in the years 1637-1641 for King Władysław IV, in the early Baroque style. The building was designed by the architect Giovanni Battista Gisleni.
“Although the building was destroyed during the Swedish Deluge, fragments of stonework discovered in Wisła in recent years allow for the reconstruction of its former appearance” – indicate in the museum’s release.
After the Swedish Deluge, the Villa Regia Palace replaced the Kazimierzowski Palace.
Visualization of the reconstructed Villa Regia palacePolish History Museum
New headquarters from September
As they explain, the image of the building will be part of the permanent exhibition of the Polish History Museum. The reconstructed façade of the palace is to illustrate the destruction that the Commonwealth experienced in the 17th century.
“Swedish troops, which took over a large part of the country, robbed practically everything: from jewelry and works of art, to window frames or fragments of stonework, which, after being transported to Sweden, were installed in local buildings. The finds donated to the Polish History Museum come from a ship, who never reached Scandinavia – drowned in the Vistula River near today’s Warsaw Citadel” – reminds the Polish History Museum.
It is in the vicinity of the Citadel that the construction of a new seat of the museum is currently underway. The ceremonial inauguration of the building is planned for the end of September 2023, announces the press office of the facility.
Main photo source: Polish History Museum