Łazienki Park
Poland
Initially created as a park for baths for nobleman Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski in the 17th century, the park was transformed in the 18th century by Poland's last monarch, Stanislaus II Augustus, into a setting for palaces, villas, classicist follies, and monuments. The park was officially designated a public park in 1918.
Łazienki Park attracts tourists from Poland and all over the world and serves as a venue for music, the arts, and culture. The park is also home to a vast number of squirrels and peacocks.
History
Łazienki Park is a beautiful garden complex located in Warsaw, Poland. The park was designed in the 17th century in the baroque style by Tylman van Gameren for military commander Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski. It was named Łazienki, meaning "Baths," after a nearby bathing pavilion. The park's current shape and appearance were mainly influenced by the last ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, King Stanisław August Poniatowski. The park's history dates back to the mid-16th century when it became a part of the estates of Queen Bona Sforza, who built a wooden manor house with an Italian garden on the site. Later, the wooden manor house of Queen Anna Jagiellon was built on the same spot, which was immortalized in 1578 by the performance of the first Polish play, Dismissal of the Greek Envoys by Jan Kochanowski.
In the second half of the 17th century, Grand Crown Marshal Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski built two garden pavilions in the thickly wooded area of a former animal park that stretched along the foot of Ujazdów Castle. The first pavilion was a hermitage, and the other contained an ornate bath chamber, which gave its name to the building and eventually to the entire garden. The original baths designed by the renowned architect Tylman van Gameren in the Baroque style still exist within the walls of the Palace on the Isle. In the first half of the 18th century, the park was leased to King Augustus II the Strong, during whose reign a regular waterway known as the Piaseczno Canal was built. In 1764, Ujazdów became the property of King Stanisław II Augustus, who first set about rebuilding Ujazdów Castle, which he chose as his summer residence. The king became discouraged with the remodeling of the old Ujazdów Castle and abandoned it to shift his attention to the surrounding gardens.
Over the next two decades, beginning in 1772, the former Lubomirski Bath-House was modified and reconstructed in several stages to become the elegant classicist Palace on the Isle. Many new structures were built and adorned by architects Dominik Merlini and Jan Chrystian Kamsetzer, painters Jan Bogumił Plersch and Marcello Bacciarelli, and sculptors Andrzej Le Brun, Jakub Monaldi, and Franciszek Pinek. The gardens were also modified and reconstructed. In 1778, a Royal Promenade was laid out, a lane joining the White House to the Bath-House. At the point where it crossed the Wilanów Road, a one-storey Chinese-style summer house was erected, which was subsequently dismantled in the 19th century and recently reconstructed. The old canals and pool near the Bath House were transformed into diversely shaped ponds of considerable size. In addition to gardens geometrically laid out in the French manner, the park also contained scenic areas inspired by the romantic English garden.
The park also includes the baroque Belvedere Palace situated at the southern edge of the escarpment. In one of the wings, the king set up a faience factory whose products were known as Belvedere vessels. Whenever Stanisław Augustus visited Łazienki, his entire court and closest family members followed him. Decorative tents were set up in the garden to accommodate all the servants and guards. At such times, the park was filled with strolling couples, people in carriages, and small boats or gondolas. Colorful and raucous music performances were a common occurrence.
During World War II, the park was heavily damaged and looted by the Germans. The Palace on the Isle, which had served as the central point of the park, was burned and its interiors were destroyed. After the war, extensive restoration work began to bring the park and its structures back to their former glory.
Today, Łazienki Park is a popular tourist destination and one of the most beautiful and beloved green spaces in Warsaw. It is home to many historical and cultural landmarks, including the Palace on the Isle, the Amphitheatre, the Belvedere Palace, and the White House. The park is also home to many species of flora and fauna, and it is a popular place for outdoor activities, including jogging, cycling, and picnicking. Additionally, various cultural events and concerts are held in the park throughout the year.