Kronika konserwatorska. Pałac Pod Krzysztofory

Abstract

FROM THE CONSERVATOR’S CHRONICLE – KRZYSZTOFORY PALACE

In 1963 the headquarters of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków settled in the building that had served as the residence of a powerful noble family throughout the 17th and the 18th centuries, and went through changing fortunes later on in its history. The end of prosperity of this baroque mansion built on the stone foundations of a mediaeval house coincided with the decline of the Polish state and the partitions of Poland. After that, the building turned into a tenement house in which Austrian occupation forces would often reside. Original furnishings of the palace had been irredeemably lost, and numerous redevelopment and modernization projects impoverished the palace’s once stately interiors which used to host royalty and other eminent fi gures. The construction of the residence was initiated in 1644 by Adam Kazanowski (1600–1640), court crown marshal, administrator of the royal salt works in Wieliczka, and personal friend of King Władysław IV Vasa. Kazanowski commissioned eminent Italian architect Constantino Tencalla to design the mansion. The Swedish invasion and the marshal’s death thwarted the residence’s architectural expansion. The construction of the mansion which in terms of prestige was at that time second only to the Wawel Castle was fi nally completed in the period 1682–1684 by its new proprietor, Wawrzyniec Jan Wodzicki (d. 1699), ennobled administrator of the royal salt works in Wieliczka. Th e new design was created by another Italian architect – Jacopo Solari – who oversaw the construction works himself. The stately chambers, such as the drawing room on the 1st floor and the so-called chapel were decorated by stuccoes created by eminent Italian sculptor Baldassare Fontana. Krzysztofory Palace, originally built in the style of early Roman baroque, eventually lost most of its aesthetic qualities and style indicators; its valuable historical features and its technical infrastructure were in a state of dilapidation, and it became necessary to introduce a number of functional innovations in its interiors in order to comply with contemporary standards and transform the facility into a 21st-century museum. In 2001 it was decided that the building would undergo a process of thorough renovation and modernization, and the necessary evaluation of the facility’s condition, including conservator’s opinion which would constitute the starting point for further work on the project, was prepared. Due to some formal complications, renovation works were delayed for several years and finally launched in 2005. Th e completion of the project is scheduled for 2012. It has the status of a top priority in the investment plans of the Urban Commune of Kraków. Restoration works conducted on the premises of the palace abound in discoveries, enriching conservators’ knowledge about the history of this building, as numerous valuable elements of the baroque design are gradually uncovered, allowing us to restore the original character and atmosphere of these historical interiors. The new discoveries often necessitate alteration of certain practical solutions in the overall design. Renovation works (which also pose a huge logistic challenge) are co-financed by the Urban Commune of Kraków and the National Fund for the Renovation of Kraków’s Monuments (Narodowy Fundusz Odnowy Zabytków Krakowa), and carried out by a substitute investor – the Management Board for Restoration of Historical Complexes of Kraków (Zarząd Rewaloryzacji Zespołów Zabytkowych Krakowa). The first stage of the restoration project (completed by the end of 2009) included: 1. Reinforcement of the building’s foundations from the side of Szczepańska St, professional cleaning and conservation of the basements in the section adjacent to the Main Market Square, adaptation of interiors to serve the purposes of museum exhibition areas (the opening took place during the celebrations accompanying the 750th anniversary of the establishment of Kraków under Magdeburg Law). Restoration of the perrons (przedproża) was completed by 2009. 2. Construction and conservation works in the so-called western wing, including the reinforcement the of ceilings, the replacement of the roofi ng, and the uncovering and technical conservation of polychrome dating from the turn of the 18th and the19th centuries which survive in a number of interiors on the 1st and the 2nd fl oor. 3. Archaeological survey conducted in the courtyard and on the building’s facade. 4. Commencement of renovation and adaptation works on the facility at 4 Jagiellońska St which will become the museum’s administrative and conference centre.