The Konopnic family townhouse at 12 Rynek in Lublin is one of those buildings that can be considered an architectural showpiece of the city. Its unique blue façade, featuring Mannerist reliefs and a crown in the form of an ornate attic, catches the eye of every passer-by and highlights the Renaissance heritage of Kozie Grod. Despite its great value, the building currently stands empty.
The Konopnic family townhouse – the blue pearl of Lublin’s market square
Among the old town buildings of Lublin’s market square, it is the 15th-century Konopniców tenement house that stands out the most. It is worth noting that the intense colour of its façade is not a modern whim of the conservation officer. During renovation work in 2004, the original pigment was uncovered, having been hidden for decades beneath layers of later plaster. Once its original colour scheme had been restored, the building shone out in the market square landscape like the most beautiful jewel in a crown. However, it is not the colour but the decoration of the façade that makes this townhouse unique. A significant area of the wall is covered with striking bas-reliefs carved into the limestone. The ornamentation is dominated by winding plants, amongst which one can spot fantastical dragon heads. Above the windows on the first floor, portraits of the patrons of the grand reconstruction – Sebastian Konopnica and his wife Katarzyna – have been placed.
Lublin after the great fire of 1575
The Konopnic family house is one of the finest examples of urban architecture in the whole of Lublin. Its roots date back to the Gothic period, whilst its current form was established at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. The catalyst for the changes was the catastrophic fire of 1575, which destroyed a large part of the Old Town’s buildings. Whilst rebuilding the house from the ruins, the Konopnic family decided to give it a new look inspired by the so-called Pińczów Mannerism, popular at the time in southern Poland. In subsequent centuries, the house underwent further, though less significant, alterations. The most significant changes since its reconstruction following the fire occurred in the mid-19th century. At that time, the third floor and the attic were removed, all due to the building’s very poor structural condition. However, between 1938 and 1939, work was carried out to restore these missing elements, without which the building looked incomplete. Thanks to the reconstruction based on a design by architect Czesław Doria-Dernałowicz, it regained proportions similar to those it had in its heyday.
World War II in Lublin
The construction work was completed on the eve of the German invasion of Poland, and it was a close call; all that effort was nearly in vain. On 9 September, a barrage of bombs fell on Lublin, damaging or destroying many buildings, including the neighbouring house to the Konopnic family’s at number 13. Fortunately, it escaped destruction. After the war, intensive and extensive work began in the Old Town. This was linked to post-air raid reconstruction and the general restoration of townhouses in the Renaissance style. It was decided at the time that the building at 12 Market Square required a redesign in accordance with the Lublin style. The design for this second, 20th-century reconstruction was prepared by architect Jan Gontarczyk. Among other things, he introduced a new attic with sgraffito decoration, altered the number and layout of the windows on the top floor, and added a stone portal and rustication to the ground floor. However, this was not a faithful reconstruction of the historical form, but rather a creative interpretation of old motifs.
Owners and history of the building
The Konopnic family’s townhouse is sometimes attributed to the Sobieski family, but in reality it never belonged to that family. This is a popular legend repeated since the 19th century, having nothing to do with the facts. However, before it came into the hands of the creators of its famous Mannerist decoration, it changed hands many times. Among its earlier owners were city councillor Andrzej Sadurka, and later merchant and mayor of Lublin Jan Domarat. The house then belonged to the Kretków family. The path to the name that has become permanently associated with the building led through marriage. Katarzyna Kretkówna brought the building as part of her dowry to Sebastian Konopnica. It was this couple who financed the reconstruction following the great fire and gave the house the form known today from photographs and postcards. It is worth noting that, until the major renovation in 2004 and the discovery of its now-famous blue colour, the building featured subdued shades of sand and brown. Its current, striking appearance is therefore the work of the last 70 years.
Nursery School No. 26 in Lublin
The post-war history of the Konopnic family’s townhouse is linked to the activities of Kindergarten No. 26, which moved into the renovated historic building in 1956. The interiors of the 16th-century building were adapted to the needs of the youngest children, with classrooms and other necessary rooms being fitted out. Despite this unusual use of the Renaissance gem, its layout retained the typical layout of old town houses. The nursery operated here for over 60 years. Its end came only in 2021, when a fire brigade inspection revealed that the building did not meet modern safety requirements.
The Konopniców Townhouse and its future
Soon after the nursery was relocated, a plan emerged to convert the historic building into a 32-room hotel with catering facilities. In 2024, the developer, the Lublin-based company Immobilia Polska II, submitted an application for a planning permission. Since then, there have been no updates in the media regarding progress on this matter. And what of the townhouse? Currently, the most beautiful house in the city remains empty. For the time being, it is unclear whether the plans to convert it into a premium hotel will come to fruition. Let us hope they do, however, as this is a great opportunity to save a historic building in a city suffering from a lack of investor interest in such properties.
Source: zabytek.pl, kurierlubelski.pl
Read also: Tenement house|Historic building|History|Lublin|Architecture in Poland | Renovation
