Built during Europe’s craze for antiquity, the unusual structure went from guarding a king to serving drinks. Archaeologists digging in one of Warsaw’s best-known parks have uncovered the remains of an unusual 18th-century “pyramid” built for Poland’s last king and lost for more than 200 years. The foundations were uncovered during excavations that began in early August at Royal Łazienki Park, the former summer residence of King Stanisław August Poniatowski and today one of the Polish capital’s most popular landmarks. Despite its exotic appearance, the structure was not a royal tomb. Known as the “Pyramidal Guardhouse,” it was built in the 1770s for guards who controlled the main approach to the Palace on the Isle, the king’s residence in the park. Archaeologists from the University of Warsaw are now excavating its foundations near the western shore of the park’s main pond, just a short distance from the palace. The dig is being led by Arkadiusz Cegliński, a doctoral student at the university’s Faculty of Archaeology, who spent years trying to pinpoint where the forgotten building once stood. He identified its likely location by comparing archival records, historical maps and engravings with modern geographical coordinates. Non-invasive surveys conducted in the park subsequently indicated that the remains of an 18th-century structure were still buried there. A royal guardhouse–and later a tavern The Pyramidal Guardhouse is believed to have been constructed between 1772 and 1776. Historical inventories describe a brick building with an entrance on its northern side and windows facing east and west. “Inside, there was a stove and wooden benches, the walls were plastered white and the floor was made of brick,” Anita Kacprzyk of the Royal Łazienki Museum told private broadcaster TVN. It also had a separate kitchen and at some point underwent an unlikely career change. “We also know that at some point the building’s function changed from a guardhouse to a tavern,” she added. Historical depictions show the guardhouse as an earth-covered, cone-shaped structure designed to resemble an ancient tomb. Poniatowski himself called it “pyramidal” in correspondence with Marcello Bacciarelli, the Italian-born painter who served at the Polish royal court. ‘Fascination with ancient culture’ The building’s unusual appearance was part of a much wider European fascination with the ancient world during the 18th century. The rediscovery and excavation of Roman cities including Pompeii and Herculaneum sparked an explosion of interest in classical art and architecture among Europe’s aristocracy. Poland’s royal court was no exception. “The fascination with ancient culture and art resulted in the widespread use of classical motifs in architecture and interior decoration, as well as the construction of ‘artificial ruins’ in gardens, designed to resemble Greek temples and tombs,” Kacprzyk told TVN. “The ‘Pyramidal’ Guardhouse was one such artificial ruin,” she added. The king had other plans The guardhouse disappeared around the turn of the 19th century, possibly after other buildings were constructed to perform the same function. There may, however, have been another plan for the site. Cegliński told TVN about a 1784 letter in which Poniatowski told Bacciarelli that he was considering building a chapel with mausoleums and listed the location of the Pyramidal Guardhouse as one possible site. The project continued to appear in their correspondence for years, with Bacciarelli even preparing a design and cost estimate for the king. It was never built. More than two centuries later, archaeologists have finally brought part of the forgotten structure back to the surface. The Royal Łazienki Museum said visitors will be able to see the excavation up close during an open day in early September.
Archaeologists uncover the remains of King Stanisław August’s long-lost Pyramidal Guardhouse, seen at right in a historical depiction. (TVP Warsaw)
