Polish art deco swept the board at Paris's International Exhibition of 1925, yet its treasures are today little known in the West. However, thanks to a 26 million zloty renovation, one of the swishest residences of that era has been given a new lease of life, and its doors will soon be opened to the public.
The mountain residence of inter-war President Ignacy Moscicki fell on hard times during the communist era, a pattern that was followed by many grand houses. During the 1930's, the President entertained a host of Polish and International dignitaries at his 'zameczek' in the Beskid mountains, but many of the contents were lost in the wake of the Second World War.
However, the residence has been revived by the government and the art deco interiors have been painstakingly refurbished to echo the spirit of the building's 1930's heyday.
President Aleksander Kwasniewski, whose government authorized the funding of the restoration of the pre-war relic, is delighted with the results, and he remarked that his dogs were equally enthralled by the mountain setting.
When the President is not in residence, it will be possible to visit the interiors of the little castle, including the original office of Moscicki, which has preserved much of its original decor.
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