A few days ago, another phase of excavation work carried out in the Vistula, made possible by the extremely low state of the river, came to an end. They were carried out at the site where a transport of Swedish war booty sank in 1656. The research, conducted under the direction of Professor Hubert Kowalski of the University of Warsaw in cooperation with the City of Warsaw, yielded valuable new finds related to, among other things, the royal residence Villa Regia. The relics found in the Vistula bring us closer to its history.
Monuments in the Vistula River from the royal palace
In the course of the action, more than a dozen fragments of 17th-century architecture were excavated, including two items of particular importance. The first is a massive fragment of an arcade arch weighing more than 200 kilograms, which matches the reconstruction of the external staircase of the Casimir Palace. The second turned out to be a pillar capitol, previously unknown among the discoveries from the site, providing new data needed for research into the structure of Villa Regia. All the objects have been taken to the Museum of Polish History, where they will be conserved and analysed.
Loot from the time of the Swedish Deluge
According to Krzysztof Niewiadomski, deputy director of the Polish History Museum for programme matters, the new exhibits will significantly enrich the institution’s collection. On their basis, a reconstruction of the palace’s impressive staircase is being prepared, which is to become one of the main attractions of the permanent exhibition. As he emphasised, the presentation of these items will make it possible to tell the story of both the riches of the former Republic and the dramatic period of the Swedish Deluge for our country.
“From the moment we came across the first group of objects in 2011, we knew that the current of the Vistula was working so intensely that it would be impossible to excavate the whole thing at once. Each season brought more pieces of architecture – over 20 tonnes of material has been excavated so far. The 2015 season was a breakthrough – at the time we thought it was the end. Yet every year the river reveals more relics of the past. Since 2015, we no longer carry out regular archaeological excavations, but every year we inspect the site to see what new material can be revealed by the falling water level,” – professor Hubert Kowalski from the University of Warsaw points out.
Villa Regia and its fate
The Villa Regia was designed by Giovanni Battista Gisleni for King Władysław IV and was one of the most impressive residences of 17th-century Europe. Particularly impressive was the western loggia decorated with the coat of arms of the Vasa dynasty, probably created on the occasion of the monarch’s marriage to Cecilia Renata Habsburg. During the Swedish Deluge, the residence was plundered and destroyed. The architectural elements carried away by the invaders, including marble facings, tiles and fragments of the staircase, were partly sunk in the Vistula River. Contemporary archaeological work is restoring these fragments of Warsaw’s lost heritage.
The Kazimierzowski Palace at the end of the 19th century and today. Photo: e-Biblioteka Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego and Petroniusz / fotopolska.eu
Kazimierz Palace after reconstruction
After the end of the Polish-Swedish war in 1660, the palace was rebuilt in a simplified form. The residence was then renamed Kazimierzowski Palace after King Jan Kazimierz, for whom it became a favourite residence. In the following centuries, the building was repeatedly destroyed by fires, and its form changed as a result of subsequent reconstructions and alterations. The building acquired its present shape after World War II. In 1945-1954, it was raised from ruins according to a design by Piotr Biegański. Today, the palace houses the Rector’s Office of the University of Warsaw.
Monuments in Wisła and the exhibition at the Museum of Polish History
All the discoveries will be included in the permanent exhibition of the Museum of Polish History, scheduled to open in 2027 at the Warsaw Citadel. Visitors will see there a reconstruction of the staircase of the Casimir Palace and a fragment of the façade of Villa Regia. The exhibition is intended as a reminder of both the former splendour of the royal residences and the dramatic events that led to their destruction.
Source: Polish History Museum
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