What’s That All About?

Lined with the busts of 40 Polish monarchs, Dom Pod Królami (ul. Hipoteczna 2) was completed in 1624 to serve as the home of the Crown Treasurer. In 1747 one of the first public libraries in Europe was opened here, though it was due to a chance discovery in the 19th century that the house got its name: 27 sculptures of Polish royalty were found in the basement, and in 1900 the decision was taken to add them to the façade. Rebuilt after the war, the building’s exterior now has a full chronological lineup of local regents.