Palace on the Isle

The Palace on the Isle, also called the Palace on the Water or the Baths Palace, is a classicist building located in Łazienki Park in Warsaw. It lies on the artificial island surrounded by a pond and connected to the land by two bridges. Currently, the palace serves as the museum which exhibits about 140 pieces of art from the collection created by Stanisław August Poniatowski. Moreover, weddings, parties, and conferences are organized there.

The beginning of the Palace on the Water dates back to the end of the 17th century when the Baths were built at the behest of prince Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski. In 1764 the property was bought back by Stanisław August Poniatowski who ordered two architects - Domenico Merlini and Johann Christian Kammsetzer - to rebuild the building. The authors of the painting and sculptural decorations were Marcello Bacciarelli and Jan Bogumił Plersch, among others. The then classicist villa exhibited the most valuable paintings from the royal collection.