Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów

The “Restoration and protection of the symbol of the Polish cultural heritage – the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów” project, co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment is, from the point of view of all investments previously carried out by the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów, the most important redevelopment task since the accession of Poland to the European Union.

“To date, we have spent about one hundred and forty million PLN from the European Union funds for conservation work. We estimate that this is only about 40% of the necessary expenditure. We must remember that the museum’s area includes about 90 hectares of space, historical parks, some of which are also nature reserves – thus we have obligations related to the protection of both historical monuments and natural areas. The success of previous projects is attested to by, among others, a growing turnout in the palace and park complex. The project we are currently inaugurating will allow us to further improve the status of the residence of King Jan III, and to increase the attractiveness of the museum’s offer for these quite large numbers of visitors”, said Paweł Jaskanis, director of the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów.

“This project is extremely important for one simple reason – it is a project of true land and property management, the kind a good lord would undertake. It may be said that if Jan Sobieski were alive today, the works that will be undertaken would be particularly important to him, because their purpose is to both secure as well as restore the value of this most precious essence of the historical Wilanów residence. That is why we reproduce the historic beauty of the gallery on the upper level, which was disturbed during the post-war renovations. That is why the conservation efforts will include the palace roofs, the insulation of the Orangery building, as well as the beautiful garden galleries on the ground floor of the residence”, explained Maciej Bałaż, manager of the project.

“The garden galleries are an original fragment of the palace, in the Baroque style, from the times of Jan III. Originally, they were open to the garden”, explained Elżbieta Modzelewska, head of the Department of Prevention and Conservation. “The painting and stucco decorations found inside were therefore threatened by weather conditions from the beginning. Consequently, they damaged early on, and subsequent owners of the residence attempted repairs. I hope that the restoration works will not only help to save these decorations, but also to extract the original paintings and their original colour palette from underneath the later changes. They are exceptionally valuable: their author was Michelangelo Palloni, a prominent artist educated in Italy, primarily a fresco painted. We also count on the fact that the conservation work will give us a unique opportunity to explore the secrets of the craft of this great master.”

The project consists of the following tasks:

Conservation, documentation and securing work in the Garden Galleries and Lapidarium on the ground floor of the palace.

The garden galleries link the corps of the palace with two towers, modelled on the solutions in Baroque Italian architecture. The artistic décor of the gallery, polychrome stucco elements, and above all, Michelangelo Palloni’s frescoes on the ceilings and walls of the Northern Gallery are examples of top-notch art. Due to the detrimental conditions of the exterior environment, as well as the occasional neglect of the residence and wars, they were severely damaged and underwent repeated renovations. Some of them did not survive to our time, but those that have survive are remarkable historical memorabilia of the patronage of Jan III, who had a personal influence on the character of his palace’s decoration. They are also a testament to the talent of the European artist, Palloni, the author of monumental wall works in Poland and Lithuania, as well as the craftsmanship of other artists – sculptors and stonemasons working for the king.

Studies of the gallery decorations, conducted since 2005, including within the framework of projects co-financed by European Union funds, were aimed at developing an appropriate programme of securing them against further destruction, as well as a broader programme for the restoration of this unique complex of diverse historical monuments. The information obtained currently allows for the gradual expansion of the work begun. It is advisable to work in stages – first the conservation of the endangered décor, uncovering the original parts and securing them, and then, in subsequent stages, restoration works with homogenous reproduction of the colour scheme of the individual elements, in a project taking into account the whole of the gallery décor (including the decorations which, as a result of historical changes in the South Gallery, are currently in the Lapidarium).

Carrying out the work in stages in the case of the gallery has another important reason – the planned renovation of the upper storeys (starting in 2018) requires the securing and propping up of ceiling decorations to avoid or minimise the possible effects of vibration.

The project starting in 2017 includes the works of Stage I – conservation, documentation works and securing the ceiling decorations and covings in the gallery and the Lapidarium. Conservators have the task of removing the old reconstructions and retouches that have undergone changes over the years, reinforce the structure of the historical elements and prepare them for the next stage – restoration. The planned programme is based on research and pilot conservation works carried out in 2015 on one of Palloni’s frescoes in the Southern Gallery and the surrounding sculpture and stucco decoration (carried out within the framework of a core grant of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage). The initiated activities have produced satisfactory results, and although they did not cover the final merge and reconstruction of the colour scheme of the monuments, the visual aspect of their condition was also improved, which is important for their reception, particularly in the case of an illusionist painting. Technical and securing work on subsequent plafond frescoes and stucco decorations will be consistent and methodical, appropriate for their safety and in accordance with the art of preservation.

Modernisation and reconstruction of the garden gallery exhibition halls on the upper level of the palace.

The work will consist of completely changing the shape and décor of the Garden Gallery on the upper level of the Wilanów Palace. We will return to the historical shape of the gallery interiors (existing until the modernisation and reconstruction of the 1950s-60s). As part of the work, the existing roof over the gallery will be removed and replaced with a new frame structure that will allow for a return to the historical appearance of the Gallery, while meeting the full security requirements of both the space and the historical exhibits. At the same time, the floor will be slightly lowered in both galleries, which will also improve the perception of the spaces undergoing the renovation works. To ensure the comfort and security of both visitors and the works exhibited in the Galleries, a completely new air conditioning infrastructure for both spaces will be constructed, as well as new security systems.

Conservation renovation of the roof of the northern with of the Palace in Wilanów.

The work will consist of replacing the roof covering on the northern wing of the palace. The current copper covering was made of rather thin sheeting in the 1950s. At present, it is necessary to replace the old, damaged sheet metal with a new thicker copper sheet. At the same time, during these works, the gutter defrosting system will be dismantled and re-installed. The roofing work is a continuation of the work begun in 2015 under the previous OP I&E.

Repair and security work in the Orangery building.

The Orangery in the Wilanów garden was built in 1749 was thoroughly rebuilt in 1811 as a storage space for citrus plants in the winter. It owes it raw, Classicist form to the then owner of the palace, Stanisław Kostka Potocki. At present, exotic plants are not stored in the Orangery, and the building is used for the organisation of temporary exhibits, as well as various educational and artistic events. The renovation and securing works planned as part of the project will consist of installation of anti-humidity and thermal insulation of the building foundations. They will contribute to the improvement of the technical condition of the entire monument, especially the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace in Wilanów 3D Documentation Laboratory, housed in the underground sections of the Orangery.

As part of the work to install anti-humidity insulation on the Orangery building, archaeological investigations will be conducted in the areas affected by the ground works. Archaeological studies on investments are not obligatory, but their undertaking provides an opportunity to enrich our knowledge of the past. The museum cares not only for the heritage directly available to the eyes of the visitors, but also for the resources of tangible culture, all signs of human activity in the past that make up the Wilanów archaeological site. The work of archaeologists allows us to enrich our knowledge with those sources that have so far remained beyond our reach, and their measurable effect is to increase the Wilanów collection with exhibits that have an undoubted direct connection with the history of the place. The area where the stately building for citrus trees was built in the 18^th century remained in the orbit of human activity at least since the middle ages. The southern elevation of the Orangery is adjoined by an area that was the Milanów parish cemetery, long before the charming village near Warsaw was selected for the private residence of King Jan III. The preserved historical plans, partially verified by earlier archaeological studies, show that the Orangery building was originally much longer. This year’s studies, centred around the old Orangery, will result in the identification and documentation of structures that have so far remained out of reach of researchers.

Conservation and making copies of four Hercules figures along with pedestals.

Four Baroque sculptures of Hercules, along with pedestals, were designed and made between 172901734. They come from a group of sculptures made for the decoration of the palace park in Brzezinka. They were brought to Wilanów at the behest of the then conservation authorities between 1949 and 1951. After conservation, which included partial reconstruction of missing fragments, they were placed on the upper and lower terraces of the Italian Garden, as well as on the shore of Lake Wilanów. The present condition of both sculptures and pedestals is unsatisfactory; all of them require conservation interventions, including cleaning the surface of atmospheric and microbiological deposits, disinfection. The remaining three Hercules figures, stored in the Sculpture Pavilion, require an attempt to remove the excess of the hydrophobic material applied during the previous conservation works, which has caused them to take on a glossy appearance. All objects have relatively small voids in the form, which need to be filled in. The planned scope of work includes carrying out of necessary conservation work and making copies in sandstone, as close as possible to the original material, for the needs of exposition in the Eastern Garden. This will allow for the presentation to a wide audience of both the four 18^th-century sculptures as well as their copies in the Eastern Garden. There is a plan to place the copies of the four figures of Hercules along with pedestals on the Lake Wilanów Promenade in the place of the originals, after prior stabilisation of the soil. This way, the sculpture decoration of the Lake Wilanów Promenade, similar to the concept of the Wilanów Gardens created by Gerard Ciołek, would be restored.

Three-dimensional documentation of a selected collection.

The aim of this task is to perform 3D digitalisation (perpetual documentation) of a selected collection of items, in a quality allowing for conservation work and educational activities (analyses, presentations, 3D printing). Additionally, the presentation of the processed models online or via interactive mobile devices in the Museum will allow for the presentation of digitised museum objects to a wider group of visitors, including palace interior decorations (the Queen’s Anteroom, the Al Fresco Cabinet) and twelve ceramic sculptures.

Promotion.

Promotional activities are intended to provide visitors to the Wilanów residence with full information about the project being carried out, explaining its purpose, course, expected effects, as well as sources of funding. The project, which assumes numerous – and extremely visible” – works within the palace and the gardens, must be promoted in many ways. Apart from fulfilling the obligations of a beneficiary, which include, among others the placement of an information board (later memorial) or the presentation of a special web page, there are two press conferences and two advertising campaigns planned. In addition, at the end of the project, a richly-illustrated folder will be published, summarising the effects of the works carried out. As part of promotional activities, two films will be created – one documenting the course of the works and their results, the other – presenting the secrets and importance of the priceless works of art and decoration of King Jan III’s palace to the guests of the Wilanów residence.

Project management.

Project preparation.