Royal Spring, Warsaw

Royal Spring in Warsaw
Zdrój Królewski
The Royal Spring
General information
Architectural style	Neo-Gothic
Address	Romuald Traugutt Park, Zakroczymska Street
Town or city	Warsaw
Country	Poland
Coordinates	52°15′29.95″N 21°0′14.58″E
Construction started	1770
Renovated	1836
Cost	50 ducats
Client	Stanisław August Poniatowski
Technical details
Material	Brick
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Enrico Marconi

The Royal Spring (Zdrój Królewski) is a well located in Romuald Traugutt Park on Zakroczymska Street in Warsaw. The spring's building was built in the 18th century, with construction beginning in 1770. It is also called the King Stanislaus Augustus Spring. In the 18th century it was very popular with residents of the Warsaw New Town as well as travellers, although the drinking water had to be paid for.

Architecture and style

In the first half of the 18th century the Royal Spring was a wooden structure, and from 1770 to 1772 proper walls were built for it. The building was financed by King Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732-1798), with 50 ducats.

The monument was covered by the construction of the Warsaw Citadel in 1832. Discovered and excavated later it was restored to its original style and shape. From 1834 to 1836, engineering work began under the supervision of the City of Warsaw's engineer Edward Klopmann as part of the city's water works. It was built to a design by Enrico Marconi in Neo-Gothic style. It used the characteristic ogive-style arches and the interior walls and exterior were covered with typical red brick. In contrast, the roof of the monument was surrounded by decorative vases.

A final renovation was carried out from 1931 to 1933. The designers were Stanisław Płoski i Andrzej Węgrzecki. They added new elements including a roof crowned with a crenellated parapet. In 1959 a new roof was added.

On the front side of the building is a plaque in Latin: "STANISLAUS AUGUSTUS PROSPICIENDO PUBLICAE SALUBRITATI Hunca FONTANA RESTAURARI JUSSIT. ANNO MDCCLXXI" (Stanislaus Augustus in the interests of public health commanded the source to be restored to order in the year 1771).

• 
  A plaque on the building
• 
  Work on the reconstruction

Bibliography

• PRZEMYSŁAW MILLER (2009-10-27). "Zdrój Królewsk". Miasto stołeczne Warszawa (in Polish). Retrieved 2012-05-21.
• Kwiatkowski, Marek [in Polish] (1983). Stanisław August Król – Architekt (in Polish). Wrocław: Ossolineum. ISBN 83-04-00850-5.