Royal Route – monuments, what's worth seeing?

Castle Square it is originally a princely land, built along with the expansion of the Castle during Zygmunt III Waza. The square was regulated many times: in the 17th century, when Sigismund's Column was erected, before the mid-nineteenth century, when the Feliks Pancer viaduct was built, in years 1947-1949, when the East-West Route tunnel was pierced. During the post-war reconstruction of the Castle, fragments of the Gothic bridge were discovered here.

Column of King Sigismund III Vasa (1643-1644) was established as a foundation of his son Władysław IV, designed by Augustyn Locci and Konstanty Tencall, the model was made by Clemente Molli, cast in bronze (height 2,75 metra) Daniel Tym. It is the only baroque monument in Europe, which breaks with the traditional scheme of the monument to the ruler: King, dressed in archaized armor, stands on a Corinthian column (originally made of red marble) height 8,5 metra. The entire monument with the pedestal has 22 meters high. The Zygmunt Column survived the occupation and was only knocked down in January 1945 year. After the reconstruction, the slightly damaged statue was placed in 1949 year on a new granite column “Strzegon”. Then the Column was moved by 6 meters to the east, on the axis of Krakowskie Przedmieście, thus creating one of the most beautiful panoramas in Warsaw.

Royal Castle jest rekonstrukcją spalonego w 1939 year and blown up by the Germans in 1944 year of the team. The reconstruction project was prepared according to the state before the destruction by Jan Bogusławski (implementation in years 1971-1988). The early baroque shape was reconstructed, the gothic facade of the wing from the Courtyard, and complexes of baroque and classicist interiors, using fragments of old buildings. The castle is a National Culture Monument, a place of permanent and temporary exhibitions of old art, and official meetings, concerts, symposiums, etc.. The construction of the Castle was started by King Zygmunt III Waza. The Old Castle was designed by Jan Baptist Trevano and Vincenzo Scamozzi. Władysław IV added a gallery-loggia from the garden and a tower “Władysławowska” (established in the years 1637-1643, according to a design by Konstanty Tencall). The New Castle was built in the Saxon times (palace of Augustus III Wettin) with a rococo wing from the side of the Vistula River (built in the years 1737- 1746, designed by Gaetano Chiaveri) and the north wing from the side of the Courtyard. The expansion under King Stanisław August Poniatowski covered the southern wing (from years 1765-1771, project by Jakub Fontana) and late baroque and classicist interiors (designed by Dominik Merlini and Jan Christian Kamsetzer with paintings by Marcello Bacciarelli). Stanislaw August, connoisseur and patron of the arts, he created a painting shop run by the painter Bacciarelli. At that time, the Royal Library was established (designed by Dominik Merlini), whose interior z 1814 year designed by Wilhelm Henryk Minter) they are the only original ones in the present Castle complex.