Pod Blachą Palace (Pałac Pod Blachą)

One of the most valuable monuments of Warsaw, it is named after its uncommon outer copper shell – very unusual for palaces built during the first half of the eighteenth century. The name literally translates to 'Palace Under Copper'.  
This classic late-Baroque building, erected in 1720-1730 by Jakub Fontana, stands at the foot of the Royal Castle. It was originally a tenement house, which was built in the 16th century by the king's blacksmith and armorer Wawrzyniec Ruffus. In the second half of the 17th century, it was rebuilt into a more traditional palace, as requested by the Crown Counselor Jerzy Dominik Lubomirski. In subsequent years, the building was remodeled several times, with the building of a north wing, the addition (and then removal) of floors and entire wings, and the raising and lowering of the roof. The palace was barely touched during the war, and after being slightly restored in 1948-1949 it was used for administrative purposes before being officially handed over to the Royal Castle in 1989. A comprehensive renovation of the palace was carried out from 2004-2008, and today, the palace permanently exhibits an extensive collection of eastern carpets, organized under the auspices of by the Teresa Sahakian Foundation.