After years of waiting, the Palace in Rogalin will soon be opening its doors again to tourists.

 

The refurbishment of the main body of the Palace, which has been going on now for two years, should finish this summer. Together with the main building, the courtyard, enclosures and farm buildings are also being renovated.

 

 

The Palace in Rogalin (15 kilometres south of Poznań) is one of the most interesting and well-preserved monuments in the Poznań region. For hundreds of years it served as the ancestral domicile of several Polish aristocratic families, and before World War II it belonged to the Raczyńscy family. During the 1930s of the 20th century, Earl Edward Raczyński was Polish ambassador in London and later on, Polish President on exile. He died in London in 1993 at the age of 102 and his London apartment was moved to the southern wing of the Palace, reconstructed in every detail. The Earl Raczyński’s daughter burst into tears when she first entered the reconstructed apartment, because as she said herself, she felt exactly though she were in her father’s apartment, despite the Earl’s absence.

The Palace, which mixes baroque and classical styles, was built by Kazimierz Raczyński in the 1860s and 70s. During World War II it was taken over by the Germans who destroyed its furnishings and accessories. After the War, the Palace was handed over to the National Museum in Poznań. Apart from the Palace, we can also visit the old mangers, stables, coach-house and living quarters of the farmhands. The west side is enriched by a French garden that develops into the English style, in which we can find some really old oak trees. The east side, on the other hand, contains a chapel-mausoleum built during the 1920s with the Raczyńscy tombs in its ground floors.

The main body of the Palace has been closed down for years because there were no funds available for renovation, and visitors could only see the side wings: the southern, with Earl Raczyński’s London apartment, and the northern, with the Polish art gallery.

Two years ago, The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage granted money for renovation of the main parts, including construction, installation and finishing works. There will also be fire safety and anti-burglar systems installed in all the buildings, along with new central heating and a new gas/oil boiler and power generator. Roofing, vaults, partition walls – these are the things which are going to be replaced in the main body of the Palace. The balcony above the main entrance and stairs will also be renovated. Amongst other things, stucco work is also going to be done, including the cornices, rosaces, decorative battens, garlands, polichromies and chimneys. Windows’ and doors’ carpentry, wood panelling, parquet and flooring will also all be replaced.

The northern wing of the Palace with the art gallery is going to be renovated as well, and the Raczyńscy family will be able to use special guest rooms designed just above the gallery.

The National Museum, which owns the Palace, also ordered development of the front courtyard, the enclosure and farm buildings, in which there will be a restaurant and storerooms for the Museum’s collections.

 

The ceremonial opening of the renovated Palace is planned for June/July this year.