The Palace of Vojnius, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2016, all rights reserved
Source: Repozytorium instytutu Polonika
Photo showing The Palace of Vojnius
The Palace of Vojnius, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2016, all rights reserved
Source: Repozytorium instytutu Polonika
Photo showing The Palace of Vojnius
The Palace of Vojnius, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2016, all rights reserved
Source: Repozytorium instytutu Polonika
Photo showing The Palace of Vojnius
 Submit additional information
ID: POL-001462-P/135462

The Palace of Vojnius

ID: POL-001462-P/135462

The Palace of Vojnius

Variants of the name:

Pałac Pociejów w Wilnie

The palace is situated on one of the town's most important arteries, which led out onto Castle Street (Pilies g.) - the last section of the via regia. Opposite the Wojnas' residence was the Holy Trinity Church, and nearby was the Dominican monastery and church, the Piarist school, as well as the palaces of the Pacs, the Brzostowskis, the Lacs (Goreckis) and the Sapiehs, but also the seat of the Bishop of Vilnius, the Papal Alumnate and the Vilnius Academy.

Before 1600, the house was owned by the royal goldsmith Michael Breytschneider. In 1636, the property was held by his widow and the tenement was under the jurisdiction of the city. At that time, the building consisted of three rooms with a "kownata" and a goldsmith's stall. In the rear there was a 'chamber', cellars, a brewery and a 'stable for a couple of horses'. The courtyard itself was described as "quite spacious". Subsequently, the tenement became the property of Zeligmacher - a representative of another family of Vilnius goldsmiths. In 1668, the tenement was already owned by Alexander Wojna (d. 1698), Vitebsk voivode (1659) and castellan of Novgorod (1684), who rebuilt it, creating another municipal palace in Dominikańska Street. He was succeeded by his son Andrzej. In 1704, the estate became the property of Konstantin Benedict Brzostowski (1682-1722), castellan of Mstislavl, and his wife, Teresa of Wojna (d. 1787), who remarried to Aleksander Pociej, governor of the Province of Troki.

In the last quarter of the 17th century, the palace plot, which took the letter L, was finally formed. Lying on Dominikonų g. (Dominican St.), it also overlooked Škliaių g. (Glass St.), passing the back of the corner plot. The palace was built on a north-south axis, on a rectangular plan with short wing sections, as a partially cellared and two-storey building. From the courtyard, the residence is enriched by two-storey arcaded loggias with cross vaults. The façade of the building is symmetrical, seven-axis with a gate passage framed by Corinthian pillars, compositionally connected with the window opening above. It features windows with alternating arrangements of pediments (semicircular and triangular) on the first floor and a rusticated ground floor. There were two entrance gates - the front one and the farm gate on the side of Glass Street.

What is important in the context of the frontage palaces of Vilnius - the residence of the Wojn family was characterised by symmetry, emphasised by a centrally located ceremonial gate connected compositionally with the window of the second storey. Considering the detail of the palace, the seat can be cautiously attributed to Georg Ertlie.

In 1748 the palace, which belonged to the Pociej family, was severely damaged in the great fire of the city. It was significantly extended after that date. At that time, a two-storey annex was erected on the side of Szklana Street, which in 1762 was described in the Dominican contract for the erection of a brewery next to it as the "palace chancellery".

In 1770 the palace was inherited by the eldest son of Teresa and Alexander Pociej, Ludwik (c. 1726-1771), and a year later by the younger Leonard (c. 1730-1774). In 1774, the seat became the property of Aleksander Michał Pociej (1774-1846), the last Lithuanian objector, who undertook its modernisation. At that time, the upper storey of the gallery from the courtyard was probably bricked up.

After 1806, the palace belonged to the Puzynins, and then became the property of the wealthy Umiastowski family. Kazimierz Umiastowski was mentioned as the owner as early as 1816, after whom the palace was taken over by his son Władysław (1834-1905) in 1887. After his death, the former palace of Wojnų (Pociej) and the second palace belonging to him, on Trakų g. 2, became the property of his widow Janina (1860-1941), founder of the Fondazione Romana Marchesa J.S. Umiastowska, which is still in operation today. She held both Vilnius palaces until 1940.

Time of origin:

1770s.

Creator:

Georg Ertli (architekt; Polska, Litwa)

Bibliography:

  • A.S. Czyż, Pałace Wilna XVII-XVIII wieku, Warszawa 2021, 579-587.

Publikacja:

01.08.2024

Ostatnia aktualizacja:

01.08.2024

Author:

dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz.
see more Text translated automatically
The Palace of Vojnius Photo showing The Palace of Vojnius Gallery of the object +2
The Palace of Vojnius, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2016, all rights reserved
The Palace of Vojnius Photo showing The Palace of Vojnius Gallery of the object +2
The Palace of Vojnius, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2016, all rights reserved
The Palace of Vojnius Photo showing The Palace of Vojnius Gallery of the object +2
The Palace of Vojnius, photo dr hab. Anna Sylwia Czyż, prof. ucz., 2016, all rights reserved

Related projects

1
  • Pałac Wojnów w Wilnie
    Katalog poloników Show