On th e basis of th e p re s e rv e d w ritte n reco rd s an d
illu s tra tiv e sources th e a u th o r of th e p re s e n t a rtic le
is dealing w ith co n stru c tio n a n d re s to ra tio n w o rk s th a t
w e re c a rried out in W a rs aw ’s Royal Castle d u rin g th e
pe rio d of th e Duchy of Warsaw. In th e y e a rs 1808—1812
a wide scope of w o rk s w e re ex e cu ted a n d also th e
p la n s p re p a re d covering th e re co n s tru c tio n an d e x ten
sio n s of c e rta in p o rtio n s of th e C a stle ’s complex as
w e ll as of its most close su rro u n d in g s.
When in 1806 th e d e v a s ta te d Castle w a s re cov e red
from th e P ru s s ia n h an d s th a t fa c t was of u tm o st im p
o rtan c e fo r th e e n tire Polish people. The aim of
w o rk s u n d e rta k e n consisted in rem o v in g of all in a p p
ro p ria te reb u id in g s an d d ev a sta tio n s th a t h av e been
b ro u g h t to th is a rc h ite c tu ra l m o n um en t being th e
fo rm e r residence of th e P o lish Kings.
Basing on comparisons m ad e w ith th e s ta te from th e
la s t y e a rs of King S ta n islau s A u g u s tu s ’ reign a lot
of in v en to ry in g su rv ey s (m e a su rem en ts an d d e sc rip tions)
an d also of co n stru c tio n , co n se rv a tio n an d d e co
ra tio n (both designs an d re a liz a tio n s) w e re c a rried
out. Though th e fin an c ia l m e an s from th e s ta te tre a su ry
w e re r a th e r scarce i t w a s in te n d e d by th o se concerned
to b rin g th e Royal Castle as e a rly as possible to its
o rig in a l glamour.
As those su p e rv isin g th e co n se rv a tio n an d re c o n s tru c tio
n a re to be m en tio n ed tw o Polish a rch ite c ts ,
n am e ly W. H. M in te r a n d H. Szpilowski. The c o n s e rv
a tio n w o rk s co v ered th e re p a irs of roofs, stoves an d
firep la c e s, th o se m ad e in rooms s itu a te d in th e
b u ild in g ’s e a st wing, th e S e n a to r s ’ Hall an d s.o. No less
c a re w a s devoted to in te rio r d eco ra tio n s an d o rn a m
e n ta tio n s w h e re th e ex is tin g p a in tin g s w e re su b je c te d
to re s to ra tio n or th e sets of n ew ones w e re e x e c u te d
w h e re a s th e w a ll d e co ra tio n s an d fu rn itu r e w e re also
re sto red .
Of a n um b e r of more in te re s tin g , th o u g h n o t re a liz ed
designs th a t w e re p re p a re d by a rc h ite c t W. H. M in te r
should be listed h e re th is covering th e re c o n s tru c tio n
of th e so c alled S ax o n C h ap e l an d th a t of e re c tio n
of w o o d -b u ilt s ta irs le ad in g to th e Castle site an d also
b rin g in g to o rd e r of sites closing to th e Vistula R iv e r
w h e re a n um b e r of te rra c e s w e re designed. H. Szpilowski
p re p a re d a design fo r co rre c tio n of th e Ca stle
S q u a re w hich p ro v id ed fo r demolition of n e ig h b o u rin
g b u ild in g s to open a w id e r view to th e Castle itse lf.
As some k in d of cu rio sity may h e re be q u o ted th e
design of th e m o n um en t fo r Napoleon I w ith w ith h ad
to be a d o rn ed th e S e n a to r s ’ Hall.
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