More Palaces
On your stroll around Warsaw, you will notice that there are significantly more interesting historical buildings to see than those frequently admired. You might wonder what they are...
Heading west from the Castle Square you will soon reach Teatralny Square, dominated by the edifice of Opera and National Theatre.
On the opposite side, there is a fresh-looking building:
Jablonowski Palace. Actually, this former Town Hall of Warsaw is new. The building was raised there in the end of 18th century, rebuild numerous times since then, it was severely burned during the Warsaw Uprising 1944, and finally demolished as late as in 1952. In 1995-97, after cautious uncovering of its foundations, it was rebuild again.
Today's Town Hall is one of the most prominent examples of Polish Cassical style. It is the former Treasure Department, designed by Antonio Corazzi, who also designed a bank and stock exchange building next to it, on Bankowy Square.
Not far from there, we have another work of Corazzi - Mostowskich Palace, today police headquarter.
Authorities seem to move around much in this city. Belweder palace, situated at Ujazdowskie Avenue, during long time has been a presidential residence; today the president works from the Namiestnikowski Palace at Krakowskie Przedmiescie. Both palaces are beautiful examples of the Neo-Classical Style, but this present Presidential Palace has much longer history. The Palace is actually from the 17th century and since then has been in hands of many aristocratic families, until it started to serve as official seat of Russian Viceroy in 19th century. Durnig the World War II, the Nazis used it as Deutsches Haus, which saved the palace from destruction. 
