In the years 1677-1696, close to the city of Warsaw, a sumptuous Baroque residence was raised for King Jan III Sobieski and his wife Marysieńka according to a design by Augustyn Locci. Many outstanding artists and architects participated in the creation of the palace, including Michangelo Palloni and Andrzej Schlòter. After King Sobieski's death in 1696 the Wilanów residence fell into a decline. It was saved by Elübieta Sieniawska nee Lubomirska who bought it in 1720 and continued its extension and remodeling throughout the first half of the 18th century. In 1799 the palace came into the hands of Stanisław Kostka Potocki, a devoted collector of antique objects and mementos connected with John III Sobieski. The Branicki family owned the palace from the end of the 19th century until 1945. Carefully renovated after the Second World War, it has become a museum.

While touring the palace interiors, our special attention is drawn by Sobieski's apartments and the Polish Portraits Gallery. The palace is surrounded by a vast park. A magnificent collection of posters can be admired in the Poster Museum, housed by one of the palatial outbuildings.