Bialystok palace

2023 By justmovingaround in Sightseeing Tags: baroque, Białystok, Braniccy, Branicki, palace, Podlasie, Poland

It has already been one year since we visited Podlasie, Northern Poland, and on our way back, we reached the city of Bialystok to access the motorway that took us home. Still, we had planned our itinerary to allow for a walk around the historic city. One of the highlights there is the Branicki Palace. You cannot visit the interiors as it serves as the seat of the local medical academy. It hosts a museum of medical history on its premises, but the museum was unfortunately closed on Monday.

So, we walked around the palace and explored its garden. The place is very well-maintained. In addition to the French-style garden, the backyard is surrounded by a park with many huge old trees. As it was a particularly hot day, my travel companions and my baby niece sought shelter in its shade. Meanwhile, I walked around the palace and its garden, taking pleasure in looking fo the best shot. Initially, I thought that the photos wouldn’t turn out well due to the noon lighting. But it turned out well.

The Branicki Palace was built in the early 18th century and was the residence of the Branicki family, a prominent Polish noble family. The construction of the palace was commissioned by Jan Klemens Branicki, a powerful magnate and military leader. He was a wealthy and influential figure in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The palace was built as a residence for him and his family. It remained in the possession of the Branicki family for several generations. The family was known for its wealth and patronage of the arts. They played a significant role in the cultural and social life of Białystok and the surrounding region.

The Palace was designed by Johann Christian Schuch and constructed between 1697 and 1705 in the Baroque style. Its exterior reflects the grandeur and opulence of the era. The Palace complex includes the main palace building, as well as various outbuildings, stables, and a chapel. The interiors of the palace were known for their luxurious furnishings, intricate artwork, and splendid ballrooms.

In the early 19th century, during the Napoleonic Wars and the subsequent Congress of Vienna, the palace came under the control of the Russian Empire. It was used as a residence for members of the Russian imperial family, including Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich and his wife, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna. After Poland regained its independence following World War I, the palace became state property. It was used for various purposes, including housing government offices and institutions.

Unfortunately, some parts of the palace were destroyed during World War II, but efforts have been made to restore and preserve its historical value.

In the 20th century, the palace was acquired by the Medical University of Białystok. It became the main building of the university and has served educational and administrative functions.

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Royal Baths, Warsaw

2020 By justmovingaround in Photo Impressions Tags: baroque, palace, Pałac na Wodzie, Poland, Warsaw, Łazienki Królewskie

Like many people the present day, I decided to suspend my travels for a while. It was not difficult because I have been working a lot recently. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone around me works online, I do either at home or in a cottage surrounded by forest an hour’s drive from the city. Sometimes I just have to show up for work, but it’s usually only a few hours of meetings in a reasonably small group of people once or twice a week. I think everyone missed everyday eye-to-eye contacts by now. Still, I miss running around beautiful places with my camera. Taking the opportunity that I had to do something in the city and I had two more hours on the parking ticket, I went to take some photos of the Royal Baths.

The Royal Baths Park (Łazienki Królewskie), is a large park complex located in Warsaw, Poland. It was originally designed in the 17th century as a summer residence for the Polish monarchs, and today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. The park covers an area of over 76 hectares and contains a number of architectural and natural attractions, including several palaces, pavilions, and monuments. One of the most famous structures in the park is the Palace on the Isle, a neoclassical palace built in the 18th century that is surrounded by a large artificial lake. Another notable spot in the park is the Amphitheater, which hosts concerts, theatrical performances, and other cultural events throughout the year. The park is also home to a number of statues and sculptures. Visitors to the park can enjoy walking along the tree-lined avenues and exploring the various gardens and lakes, as well as taking in the various cultural events and exhibitions that are held there.

In the late afternoon, when the sun is slowly going down, and the weather is beautiful, taking pictures there was is pure pleasure.

Łazienki Królewskie w Warszawie | Royal Baths in Warsaw | 华沙皇家浴园 | Parc des Bains Royaux à Varsovie

The Palace on the Isle, is a neoclassical palace located in the middle of an artificial lake. It was designed in the 18th century by the prominent Polish architect Domenico Merlini. The palace’s architecture is a blend of neoclassical and baroque styles, and it features ornate facades, grand staircases, and opulent interiors. The palace was built using a combination of brick, stone, and stucco, and it is adorned with sculptures and reliefs depicting scenes from mythology and Polish history.

From the palace, visitors can look out over the lake and see the Amphitheater in the distance, framed by the surrounding trees and greenery.

The Royal Baths Amphitheatre, also known as the Summer Theatre, is an open-air amphitheater located at the artificial lake on its Northern bank. It was designed in a neoclassical style by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi, and it features a semicircular seating area that can accommodate up to 2,500 spectators. The seating area is arranged in a semicircle around the stage, with rows of stone benches descending towards the stage. The stage is surrounded by ornate columns and sculptures, and it is equipped with modern lighting and sound systems that allow it to host a wide range of performances, from classical music concerts to theatrical productions.

Two sculptures you may see on the photos are standing in front of the Palace. One is the Dionysus statue that depicts the Greek god of wine, fertility, and theater. The other one is Vistula – The Allegory of the River. It features two figures – the reclining woman symbolizing the Vistula River and a winged genius holding a caduceus, a symbol of commerce and trade. The genius is positioned above the river and represents the economic importance of the Vistula River, which has been a major commercial and trading route in Poland for centuries

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Raphael’s Rooms

2019 By justmovingaround in Art and Artefacts, Sightseeing Tags: fresco, Italy, Musei Vaticani, museum, palace, Raphael, Rome, Vatican palace

Some time ago during a visit in Musei Vaticani in the second hour of a slow walk in the crowd, I was simply too tired to admire that what we saw. The Museum is totally overwhelming as far as the number of artifacts, artworks as well as handicrafts all around are concerned. There were moments I made photos just to be able to follow the route quietly later at home. My neck was tense because of the constant looking up onto the frescoes and other ceiling decorations. To be frank, I did not prepare earlier for this visit, so I had no idea what was still ahead of us. For a couple of minutes, we entered an enormous hall with frescoes all around. I did not want to speculate on its size, but this was altogether hundreds of meters. Then there was another room and another. You could have only looked around, stopping for a while, and catching the momentum.

We entered the so-called Raphael’s Rooms, a series of chambers decorated by the Italian Renaissance master Raphael, or his pupils. In fact, the sightseeing route begins in the reverse order. It starts in the Room of Constantine, a great hall designed for reception and official ceremony purposes. The frescoes are not by Raphael himself. Raphael died before he was able to finish them. The work was completed by artists, who worked in his workshop, upon the original Raphael’s design. The room is devoted to the Roman emperor Constantine, who was the first Christian Emperor of ancient Rome.

Musei Vaticani. Vatican Museums. Raphael's Rooms.

Only a small fraction of a wall fresco in the Room of Constantine, showing the Battle of Constantine against Maxentius, painted by Raphael’s pupil Julio Romano.

Later on, we visited a series of smaller chambers that had been designed to serve as the pope’s private chambers that are told to be painted by Raphael himself. This can be, however, not entirely true, as Raphael is said to have maintained one of the most significant workshops in Rome. Translated into English, it means that he employed many talented people who did auxiliary work for him.

Raphael or Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (1483-1520), was one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance (alongside Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci). He is one of those artists who died young but left immense art heritage. Raphael’s Rooms are told to be one of his greatest achievements. On the picture left, you can see Raphael’s self-portrait on display in the Louvre collection in Paris. But artists sometimes painted their self-portraits inside works for which they have been commissioned. One of them (supposedly) is in Raphael’s Rooms on the wall with a fresco depicting the School of Athens. In the middle of it, there are two masterminds of the ancient times: Plato (to the left) and his pupil Aristotle (to the right). The head of Plato is a portrait of Leonardo da Vinci, and that of Aristotle is indeed Raphael’s self-portrait.

Traveling France. Raphael, self portrait with a friend, Louvre.

Musei Vaticani. Vatican Museums. Raphael's Rooms. The School of Athens.

Raphael’s Rooms are decorated with frescoes all around. You can admire paintings on each wall and on all ceilings. Because of the crowds, I made only a few photos directing my camera up from above people’s heads. However, on the Musei Vaticani web page, we can admire the empty Raphael’s rooms on pictures and in the form of the virtual tour (>>>).

Below some other photo impressions.

More photos from MUSEI VATICANI

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Tag Archives: palace

Bialystok palace

Royal Baths, Warsaw

Raphael’s Rooms