Foundation remains were discovered at the beginning of August when excavations began in the Royal Łazienki Park – the former summer residence of the King of Poland Stanisław August Poniatowski, which today is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Polish capital, writes TVP.
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Despite its exotic appearance, the building was not a royal tomb. It was called the “Pyramid Guardhouse” and was built in the 1770s. Its purpose was to guard the main road to the Palace on the Isle – the king’s residence in the park.
Currently, archaeologists from the University of Warsaw are excavating its foundations near the western shore of the main park pond, very close to the palace.
The excavations are led by Arkadiusz Cegliński, a doctoral student at the university’s Faculty of Archaeology. He had been trying to locate the building for several years.
The researcher compared archival documents, historical maps, and engravings with modern geographical coordinates. Later, non-invasive studies conducted in the park showed that remains of an 18th-century building might indeed be preserved underground.
The Royal Guardhouse, later turned into a tavern
It is believed that the “Pyramid Guardhouse” was built between 1772 and 1776.
Historical inventories indicate that it was a brick building with an entrance on the northern side, and the windows faced east and west.
“Inside there was a stove and wooden benches, the walls were whitewashed, and the floors were made of bricks,” Anita Kacprzyk, a representative of the Royal Łazienki Museum, told the private broadcaster TVN.
The building also had a separate kitchen. However, over time its purpose unexpectedly changed.
“We also know that at some point the building’s function changed – from a guardhouse it became a tavern,” said A. Kacprzyk.
In historical depictions, the guardhouse is shown as a cone-shaped structure covered with earth, meant to resemble an ancient tomb.
King Stanisław August Poniatowski himself, in correspondence with the Italy-born painter Marcello Bacciarelli, who worked at the Polish royal court, called the building “pyramidal.”
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Inspired by fascination with antiquity
The unusual appearance of the building was part of a broader 18th-century European passion for the ancient world.
With the rediscovery and excavation of Roman cities such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, interest in ancient art and architecture grew significantly among European aristocracy.
The Polish royal court was no exception.
“Fascination with ancient culture and art led to the widespread use of classical motifs in architecture and interior decoration. Also, ‘artificial ruins’ constructions resembling Greek temples and tombs were built in gardens,” A. Kacprzyk told TVN.
According to her, the “Pyramid” guardhouse was one such example of artificial ruins.
The king had other plans
The guardhouse disappeared around the beginning of the 19th century. It is believed that it may have been demolished to make way for other buildings serving the same function.
However, a different future might have been planned for this site.
A. Cegliński told TVN about a letter written by Poniatowski to M. Bacciarelli in 1784. In it, the king considered the possibility of building a chapel with mausoleums at this location and mentioned the “Pyramid Guardhouse” as one of the possible sites for the building.
This project was mentioned in their correspondence for several more years. M. Bacciarelli even prepared a design for the future chapel and calculated its construction cost.
However, the plan was never realized.
More than two centuries later, archaeologists have finally brought part of the long-forgotten building to the surface.
The Royal Łazienki Museum announces that visitors will be able to see the excavation site up close during an open day event taking place in early September.
