Presidential Palace

The Presidential Palace on Krakowskie Przedmiescie is the official seat of the President of Poland. Built in 1643 for magnate Stanislaw Koniecpolski as a city palace, it was rebuilt in the 19th century by Christian Piotr Aigner and Antoni Corazzi in neoclassical style with the typical columned portico and triangular pediment crown. Two pacts of world-historical importance were signed here: the Warsaw Pact in 1955 between the socialist states, and the 1989 Round Table negotiations between government and Solidarnosc that ushered in the end of communist Poland. Directly in front of the entrance stands Bertel Thorvaldsen's equestrian statue of Prince Jozef Poniatowski, flanked by two lions popular for souvenir photos. The interior is open only on rare occasions.