The Radziejowice Palace was built in fifteenth century as the representation for Radziejowski noble family. The palace was much bigger at the time, and it was said to accommodate 1,000 guests. It was located on the site of the present Swiss Villa.
The palace’s present location is owed to Primate Michał Radziejowski, who carried out the reconstruction of one of the outbuildings of the former palace complex. After his death, palace passed into the hands of the Prażmowski, Ossoliński and eventually Krasiński family since 1792. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, the whole property was thoroughly modernized. Architect Jakub Kubicki, court architect to King Stanisław August, was commissioned and gave the Palace its classical appearance. The windows were framed with plain surrounds, and the under-window cornices were supported on consoles. On the front facade, a central risalit with the main entrance was created, and the Krasiński family coat of arms – Ślepowron – was installed. On the first floor, a terrace supported by Tuscan columns was constructed to shelter the main entrance. Jakub Kubicki preserved a part of Primate Michał Radziejowski’s decorative parts, such as oval windows and decorative window surrounds with projections in the central risalit. This is the image that can be seen on the panorama made by Jakub Sokołowski in 1820. The architect kept the arrangement of rooms in enfilade layout. The most representative form was given to the staircase on the upper floor, from which one exits onto the terrace. Along the walls, door openings were arranged symmetrically. Today, large, mirrored panels hang in their place. The southern wall was adorned with a Baroque portal made of black marble. The most prestigious rooms were decorated with polychrome paintings. The interiors feature arabesques, grotesques, and ornaments executed in the grisaille technique, creating an illusion of three-dimensionality. The walls were embellished with frescoes depicting Wawel Castle, the castles in Ojców and Pieskowa Skała, as well as the Theatre on the Water in the Łazienki complex. Unfortunately, they have been painted over in 1932, and after the war completely removed along with the plaster. After World War II, the damaged palace complex was reconstructed with funding from the Ministry of Culture and Art. Since 1965, the Palace has been a cultural and artistic centre. Today, there is a permanent exhibition of Józef Chełmoński’s art. It is displayed in rooms on the ground and on the first floor. In addition, the Palace houses apartments, guest rooms, reception and the dining room.