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In the old Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

In the years 1661-1664 Jan Andrzej Morsztyn, a poet, politician, and future Grand Treasurer of the Crown, built a residence that would later acquire palatial splendour, and be known as Saski Palace.

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Artists: Julian Schübeler, Juliusz Kossak

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A poet&#8217;s indiscretion
During the reign of Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, Morsztyn was, next to Hetman Jan Sobieski, one of the leading figures of the pro-French faction of malcontents. He even planned to bring French troops to Poland in order to carry out a coup and bring about the dethronement of the ruler.
He knew well the future queen of Poland, Maria (Marysieńka) Kazimiera d&#8217;Arquien; and knew about her passionate romance with Jan Sobieski. It was rumoured at the time that Marysieńka, who was still officially mourning the death of her first husband, and Sobieski, the future king, had been caught in flagrante by Queen Maria Ludwika Gonzaga, who promptly ordered that the lovers be married immediately. The ceremony was held in secret so as not to provoke a scandal caused by Marysieńka having failed to observe her period of mourning. But it was Morsztyn who brought the scandal to light, making unequivocal allusions to their dalliance in the song “Serenada północna…” [Midnight Serenade]. Erotic poetry was indeed Morsztyn&#8217;s preferred lyrical genre, and he was able to draw on rich stylistic resources, characteristic for Baroque poetry: punch lines, recitations and listings, versification and florid language. Most of Morsztyn’s poetry is to be found in two collections: Lutnia [Lute] and Kanikuła albo Psia Gwiazda [Canicula or Dog Star].
Conspirator and exile
Already in the times of Morsztyn’s indiscreet poem, it seems, the seeds of future conflict with King Jan III Sobieski had been sown. Although Morsztyn was initially a supporter of the ruler, he remained faithful primarily to the French court which remunerated him for his services; and in fact in 1679 the poet went so far as to swear allegiance to Louis XIV. When Sobieski changed the course of the Commonwealth&#8217;s foreign policy from pro-French to pro-Habsburg, Morsztyn joined the oppositional group. And this time he did not hesitate to conspire with the French court against the Polish monarch. 
The conspiracy, however, was uncovered. Accused by Sobieski of financial embezzlement and high treason, Morsztyn was forced to flee the country. He found refuge in Versailles, becoming the secretary of King Louis XIV. He would end up dying in exile, on January 8, 1693.

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Jan Andrzej  Morsztyn

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Near to Morsztyn’s palace was a residence that was home to one of the most powerful and distinguished personages of the 17th-century Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Jerzy Ossoliński, a diplomat and Grand Chancellor of the Crown, and the Marshal of the Sejm.

Ossoliński Palace

He returned from the West inspired by the spirit of the most fashionable cultural trends at the time. Tangible evidence of this was the palace he had built in the years 1639-42 in a style reminiscent of Italian architecture. The edifice, which came to be known as Brühl Palace, was built on a quadrilateral plan with two alcove towers facing the garden.
The interior of the edifice was also intended to be a testament to the power and prestige of the owner. The completion of the construction works coincided with the appointment of Ossoliński to the position of the Grand Chancellor of the Crown, the highest secular office in the state. The palace’s marble decorations, its reliquaries with the mortal remains of saints brought from Pope Urban VIII, its bronze sculptures and trinkets made of precious metals, were to emphasize the lofty status of Ossoliński; being as he was the closest and most trusted adviser to King Władysław IV.
Ossoliński was a faithful executor of the monarch&#8217;s will, and not only as a diplomat. He also oversaw the ruler&#8217;s Baltic policy aimed at introducing maritime tariffs. What is more, Ossoliński supported a settlement with the Cossacks; and he was also the co-author of the king&#8217;s most ambitious project, one that involved the waging of a war against the Turks and Tatars.
It was with the death of Władysław IV that Ossoliński&#8217;s run of good fortune came unstuck. Deprived of an ally, he found himself being accused of having wanted to introduce absolutism in the Commonwealth. What is more, he was blamed for the failure to reach an accord with the Cossacks. And worse still, he was no longer trusted by the next monarch on the Polish throne &#8211; Jan Kazimierz. Jerzy Ossoliński died in his palace in Warsaw on August 9, 1650.

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Jerzy Ossoliński

Ossoliński was a man of his time. He not only based the design of his residence on Italian architectural models, but also oversaw the implementation in the edifice of technical innovations. Indeed, Ossoliński’s palace boasted two elevators that were the first of their kind to be found in Warsaw. The operation of the elevators was based on the principle of counterweight achieved thanks to pulleys and gears.