Archaeologists working in Warsaw’s historic Morysin Park have uncovered previously hidden remains of 19th-century buildings, including walls, tiled and wooden flooring, a remarkably well-preserved stone staircase and fragments of decorative stucco from the former Hunting Palace.
The discoveries were made during the latest archaeological investigations commissioned by the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów. Researchers say the finds are providing valuable new evidence about buildings that once formed part of Morysin’s Romantic-era landscape.
Many of the structures had remained concealed beneath the ground for decades. Archaeologists hope the discoveries will now help specialists develop a conservation programme to protect the surviving architecture and prevent further deterioration.
A Lost Landscape Rediscovered
Morysin was developed in the early 19th century as an extensive Romantic park by Polish nobleman and statesman Stanisław Kostka Potocki.
Designed as a picturesque place for relaxation and recreation, the estate contained a collection of distinctive buildings intended to complement the surrounding landscape.
Among the most important was the Hunting Palace, completed in 1811. Other structures followed, including the Oraculum in 1825, the Neo-Gothic Gate in 1846 and, around 1850, the Caretaker’s House and Gamekeeper’s Lodge.
The Hunting Palace became one of the principal architectural features of Morysin, although much about its original appearance and subsequent development remains unknown.
The latest excavations are beginning to fill some of those gaps.
Hidden Walls and Unusual Flooring
During the 2026 archaeological season, researchers concentrated on the ruins of the Caretaker’s House and Hunting Palace.
At the Caretaker’s House, the team uncovered walls approximately half a metre high belonging to a previously concealed section of the building constructed west of the surviving quadrangular turret.
Archaeologists also discovered remains of an unusual floor consisting of ceramic tiles and wooden elements arranged in alternating strips.
Evidence was found of a corridor surrounding the building, with its walls and ceiling once forming a pergola previously known primarily through historic illustrations.
The corridor surface was made from asphalt, reflecting the increasing popularity of the material during the second half of the 19th century.
Researchers were also struck by the substantial construction of the building. Its foundations extended approximately 1.6 metres below the historic ground level.
Porcelain Plate Among the Finds
The excavation produced smaller artefacts as well as architectural remains.
One of the most notable was a porcelain plate bearing the mark of Krister Porzellan-Manufaktur (KPM) of Wałbrzych. The plate belonged to the Prinzess service and is thought to have been manufactured during the 1930s.
Such discoveries provide archaeologists with evidence not only about the buildings themselves, but also about how Morysin continued to be used long after its original development.
Hunting Palace Staircase Survives
Further discoveries were made around the ruined Hunting Palace. Near its rotunda, archaeologists uncovered a passage connecting the porch with a room believed to have functioned as a boiler room.
More significantly, excavation on the northern side revealed the largely intact stone flooring of a staircase that once provided access to the palace’s upper storey.
Fragments of decorative stucco were also recovered from the rubble.
These surviving pieces once formed part of the palace’s interior decoration and could help researchers reconstruct a more accurate picture of how the building appeared during its heyday.
The investigations have also confirmed that the ruins currently visible above ground represent only a fraction of the original structures.
Decades of Decline
Despite its historical importance, Morysin received comparatively little conservation attention in the decades following the Second World War.
As a result, its surviving architecture gradually deteriorated while other remains disappeared beneath vegetation and soil.
The latest archaeological programme is intended to change that.
Information gathered during the excavations will contribute to plans for securing the ruins against further deterioration and, where possible, restoring elements of their historic appearance.
The archaeological work forms part of a wider programme to revitalise Morysin Park.
The historic meadow near the Gamekeeper’s Lodge has already been restored and the lodge itself secured. With financial support from Poland’s Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, restoration of the building is planned for 2027.
Archaeologists are also expected to return to the Hunting Palace in 2027, when investigations are planned within an outbuilding identified through ground-penetrating radar surveys.
Archaeology Meets Nature Conservation
Conducting archaeological excavations inside a protected natural landscape presents additional challenges.
The 2026 investigations were led by a team headed by Dr Rafał Solecki, with archaeology students from the Institute of Archaeology at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw also taking part.
Museum specialists supervised the project to ensure that archaeological research could proceed without damaging the surrounding reserve.
Landscape architect Dr Maciej Żołnierczuk, deputy head of the museum’s Investment Department, coordinated work within its historical and environmental setting, while biologist and environmental specialist Monika Drabik oversaw measures designed to protect the local ecosystem.
A New Future for Morysin
Ultimately, the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów intends to secure Morysin’s surviving architectural remains and incorporate them into its permanent cultural offering.
The latest discoveries demonstrate that considerably more of the historic park may survive beneath the surface than its present-day ruins suggest.
After decades hidden underground, the newly uncovered walls, floors, staircase and decorative fragments are providing archaeologists with fresh evidence of a landscape created more than two centuries ago — and offering an opportunity to preserve what remains for future generations.
Sources : PAP