The Royal Palace of Wilanow, Poland

It was a bit of a cool, rainy day... the coldest day of July in Poland anyone we talked with could ever remember! But a bit of rain does not get between me and a palace!

Just south of Warsaw, Wilanow was built by King Jon III Sobieski inspired by his love for his wife, Maria, in the 17th century.  King Jon was most famous for his victory over the Turks in Vienna which stopped the advance of the Ottoman Empire into Europe.

King Jon's library in the palace had a unique organization method. He placed portraits and names of famous authors on the ceiling and placed the books beneath them that matched their speciality. For example, Aristotle marked the philosophy section and Ovid marked the literature section.

King Jon's desk was made of silver, gold, shells, and precious stones and contained several hidden drawers and compartments for him to keep state secrets!

Later owners of the palace opened portions of it to the public in the form of a museum filled with artifacts from their travels. Among the artifacts, was a large collection of Etruscan pottery from Italy. The picture above was only one small sample.

The baroque style of Wilanow and the time of its construction have led to its nickname, Little Varsaille, after the French palace.