The historic vicarage at St Anne’s Church in Wilanów has been restored to its original appearance after illegal thermal modernisation work undertaken by the parish in 2024. This one started insulating the facade with a thick layer of Styrofoam coating without the required consent of the Mazovian Regional Conservator of Monuments. The intervention of officials prevented the destruction of the historic facade and allowed the original details of the historic facades to be saved.
In the summer of 2024, work began on the insulation of the rectory belonging to St Anne’s parish. The building, which is located adjacent to the church and the gardens of the Wilanów Palace, was partially covered with a layer of polystyrene foam and plaster. However, the required permit from the conservator was not obtained to carry out the work, so the thermo-modernisation was carried out illegally. The Mazovian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments still issued a decision in June of the same year to stop the work immediately, and in August 2024 ordered the building to be restored to its previous state.
The parish priest of St Anne’s, however, had nothing to do with both the historical value of the building and its legal status. The illegal works, which began in the summer of 2024, have already managed to insulate the side wall of the building and cover it with new plaster. The façade of the monument, richly decorated with subtle details, remained permanently intact only thanks to the prompt intervention of the conservation officer. An inspection was carried out at the beginning of September this year, during which the order to remove the styrofoam layer, repair the damaged plaster and restore the architectural elements was confirmed.
Shockingly, the parish tried to challenge the conservator’s decision by appealing to the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. Ultimately, however, the obligation to restore the façade to its original state was carried out. As a result, the historic vicarage regained its historic appearance and there was no permanent devastation of this valuable architecture.
The Wilanów vicarage was built at the end of the 18th century, a few years after the completion of St Anne’s Church. The temple was designed by Jan Kotelnicki, and its construction was financed by August Aleksander Czartoryski. The rectory was built in the immediate vicinity of the church and soon became an integral part of the sacred-residential complex that was developing near the Wilanów palace. The building served a residential function for the clergy, but at the same time was part of the broader architectural and landscape context of the surroundings of the royal estate. The style of the rectory referred to late Baroque and classicist forms, so that it harmonised with the church and nearby buildings. In 1965, both the church and the vicarage were entered in the register of historical monuments, so the approval of the relevant authority was required for any works. Prompt intervention by the conservator and his firm stance against such audacious devastation meant that the building was returned to its original state.
Source: Mazovian Voivodeship Historic Preservation Officer
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Wilanów parsonage with illegal insulation and now
