Wilanów [antikvár]

HISTORYIThe palace and the gardens of Wilanow occupy an important place among the historical monuments of Polish artistic culture. It has been glorified by the historical legend of its founder King Jan III Sobieski, the famous conqueror of the Turks, and its charming, richly decorated architecture, its well preserved authentic rooms, their period furniture and equipment, the art collections and its picturesque and skillfully embellished gardens, all add to its fascination.When Sobieski was elected King of Poland in 1674 and was enthroned as Jan III, his residence in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, was the old royal palace on the river Vistula, which was at the same time within a noisy, crowded and densely built up city. The king, formerly a landlord, was not used to living in a city and wanted to have a small country residence near-by where he could have a quiet rest. He chose the small village of Milanow which soon became Wilanow, assuming the name "Villa nova" given to the new royal residence under construction.On the newly purchased estate the King found a newly-begun palace which he decided to have completed as soon as possible for his own convenience. The construction had just been started and its foundations, after some slight corrections, could be used as the basis for the lay-out of the royal residence.The Kings' limited finances forced him to have the palace built in several stages. At the end of the first stage, in 1679, the royal residence was just a one-storied5