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Ujazdów, Warsaw

Coordinates:52°13′07″N21°02′17″E/ 52.2187°N 21.0380°E/52.2187; 21.0380
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Ujazdów
Warsawneighbourhood
Ujazdów Avenue(top) andMyślewicki Palace(bottom)
Location of Ujazdów neighbourhood (red) in the District ofŚródmieście(navy blue)
Coordinates:52°13′07″N21°02′17″E/ 52.2187°N 21.0380°E/52.2187; 21.0380
CountryPoland
VoivodeshipMasovia
CityWarsaw

Ujazdów(Polish pronunciation:[uˈjazduf]) is a prominent neighbourhood situated in centralWarsaw,the capital ofPoland.It is the southernmost part of the Downtown (Śródmieście) district, next toSolecand historicalFrascati.The main thoroughfare passing through the neighbourhood isUjazdów Avenue;theChancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland,theForeign Ministryand theBelweder Palaceare located on or in the vicinity of the street. Ujazdów is an affluent neighbourhood, with villas, palaces and parks comprising most of its area. The most notable landmarks are theŁazienki ParkandPalace on the Isle,the 18th century summer residence of Poland's last monarchStanisław II Augustus.

History

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The name derives from a 13th-century defensive fort (gród) and manor called Jazdów which belonged to theMasovian Dukes;its purpose was to defend the nearby settlement ofSolec,which was a significant place of trade and commerce on theVistulariver.[1]

In 1262, the Grand Duke of LithuaniaMindaugascrossed the river with his troops and advanced towards Jazdów in an attempt to conquer Masovia.[2]DukeSiemowit Iand his oldest son,Konrad II,who were in Jazdów on a visit, prepared for a siege of the fortress whilst awaiting rescue from allies. However, the townsfolk betrayed the Duke and Mindaugas' troops managed to enter the fortress on 23 June 1262. According to most records, Siemowit I was killed by beheading during battle (or soon after) with the Lithuanians andRuthenians.[3]Konrad was captured and imprisoned, but released after two years.[4][5]In 1281, the fort was abandoned and its inhabitants moved to a newly established settlement near present-dayOld Townwhich gave rise to the city of Warsaw decades later. Archaeological excavations to determine the exact location of the previous fort proved futile.

Ujazdów Avenue before 1939

The Duchy of Masovia became part of the Polish Kingdom in 1526 after the abrupt death ofJanusz III.[6]Bona Sforza,the Italian wife ofSigismund I,was suspected of poisoning the duke to annex the duchy, though no real evidence exists.[7]Following the annexation of Warsaw and its surroundings, Queen Bona ordered the construction of a presumably wooden manor with a large forest-like park and amenagerie.[8]On 12 January 1578,Jan Kochanowski's blank-verse tragedyThe Dismissal of the Greek Envoyspremiered at Ujazdów during the wedding ofJan Zamoyskiand KrystynaRadziwiłł.[8]The residence was demolished by kingSigismund IIIwho ordered the construction ofUjazdów Castleon its site. The castle was completed in 1624 and now houses the Museum of Modern Art.[9]

The forested area of Ujazdów closer to the river was designated byStanisław II Augustusas aBaths Park(Polish: Łazienki), with a private palace obtained from noblemanStanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski.[10]The chateau was reconstructed in aneoclassicalstyle in the middle of a pond, earning it the names "Palace on the Isle"and" Palace on the Water ". It is one of Warsaw's most recognizable landmarks.

Up until the 19th century, Ujazdów remained more of a city periphery with smaller-scale dwellings and mansions belonging to aristocrats. It was also a summer retreat for Warsaw's wealthier and upper classes. In 1896, theUjazdów Parkbecame open to the public.[11]

Ujazdów Castle and Piaseczno Canal in winter
Palace on the Isle at dusk
Chancellery on Ujazdów Avenue

Ujazdów did not suffer major destruction unlike the rest of Warsaw duringWorld War IIas it was designated as a neighbourhood for Nazi officials and German settlers.[12]Many of Warsaw's finest and most historic buildings outside the Old Town are situated in Ujazdów and the adjacent Southern Downtown (Śródmieście Południowe) district.

Sites

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  • Ujazdów Park
  • Ujazdów Castleand Piaseczno Canal
  • Łazienki Park
  • Myślewicki Palace,visited byNapoleon BonaparteandRichard Nixon
  • Palace on the Isle,summer residence and retreat of king Stanisław II Augustus.
  • New Orangery (Łazienki), part of the palatial park complex.
  • Belweder,one of the official residences of the President of Poland.
  • Ujazdów Avenue,the main street aligned with historical tenements.
  • Colony of Embassies, foreign consulates and diplomatic missions to Poland
  • Colony of "Finnish Houses", built in 1945 for the members of the committee responsible for the post-war reconstruction of Warsaw.
  • Chancellery of the Prime Minister, headquarters of the Polish government alike theSejm
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Constitutional Tribunal Building
  • Ministry of Justice
  • Warsaw Observatory

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Ujazdów – rocznica spalenia grodu na Jazdowie".25 June 2015.
  2. ^"750 lat temu Litwini zniszczyli gród w Jazdowie".dzieje.pl.
  3. ^"Łazienki Królewskie w Warszawie".lazienki-krolewskie.pl.
  4. ^"Muzeum Wojska Polskiego w Warszawie".muzeumwp.pl.
  5. ^Rodak, Wojciech."25 wielkich triumfów, o których dziś nie każdy pamięta".Polskatimes.pl.
  6. ^"Droga do Korony. Inkorporacja Mazowsza".histmag.org.
  7. ^"Ostatni książęta mazowieccy".wilanow-palac.pl.
  8. ^ab"Ujazdów Castle & Park".english.
  9. ^"Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski – Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski".– Centrum Sztuki Współczesnej Zamek Ujazdowski.
  10. ^"Łazienki Park | Sightseeing | Warsaw".inyourpocket.
  11. ^"Park Ujazdowski - Warsaw, Poland - Municipal Parks and Plazas on Waymarking".waymarking.
  12. ^"Aleje Ujazdowskie - Ulice - Dzielnica Śródmieście m. st. Warszawy".srodmiescie.warszawa.pl.

52°13′07″N21°02′17″E/ 52.2187°N 21.0380°E/52.2187; 21.0380

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