The Royal Castle In Warsaw, Poland Editorial Image

The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Polish: Zamek Królewski) was the official residence of the Polish monarchs. It is located in the Castle Square, at the entrance to the Warsaw Old Town. The origins of the Castle date back to the 15th century. In the years 1407 - 1410 the Masovian Duke Janusz I of Warsaw built a multi-story Gothic brick castle. In its long history the castle was repeatedly rebuilt. From 1526 it became the Royal Residence. In 1595 King Sigismund III Vasa made a decision to expand the castle. Reconstruction in the Mannerist-early Baroque style was done between 1598–1619. The Castle was enlarged and given its present five-sided shape, with an imposing elevation facing the town, and a high tower known as the Sigismund's Tower. Over the centuries the Castle was repeatedly devastated and plundered by Swedish, Brandenburgian, German, and Russian armies. In September 1939 the Castle burnt after the German bombing. During the subsequent occupation the Castle was plundered. After the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 the Castle was blown up by Germans. In the years 1945-1970 the Communist authorities delayed making a decision on whether to rebuild the Castle. The decision to do so was taken in 1971. In 1984 the reconstructed Castle was opened to the public.