Krasiński Palace

The Krasiński Palace stands on Krasiński Square in central Warsaw. Built between 1677 and 1683 for Jan Dobrogost Krasiński, it was designed by Tylman van Gameren, a Dutch architect trained in Italy. The palace was decorated with reliefs and sculptures by Andreas Schlüter, while frescoes were painted by Michelangelo Palloni, court artist to King John III Sobieski. It became the seat of the Treasury Commission in 1765 after being purchased by the Polish state. During the Second World War the building was severely damaged but its outer shell survived.

After reconstruction the palace now houses part of the Polish National Library’s Special Collections. A permanent exhibition displays priceless manuscripts such as the Sankt Florian Psalter and works by Mickiewicz, Chopin and Herbert. The interiors feature original stucco work and surviving decorative elements from the 17th century. The palace-garden complex was planned as a French-style residence between formal courtyard and garden, though only fragments of the original layout remain.

Visitors enter through the grand vestibule with its restored frescoes and stucco mouldings. The exhibition rooms display medieval chronicles alongside Renaissance and Romantic works. Outside, the square preserves the palace’s setting between Długa and Świętojerska Streets. The building’s history is visible in the surviving outer walls and the reconstructed façades.