When there was no Warsaw yet

It was the year 1262. St. John's Eve was drawing near, an old pagan holiday that was tolerated by the church authorities. On St. John's Eve from 23 to 24 June, bonfires burned, people danced, feasted and looked for the crock of gold flower which, according to legend, bloomed only on this night.

Prince Konrad who survived the tragic St. John's Eve. This is how his effigy appeared on a seal from 1283.

  Warsaw did not exist yet, but in this place there was a stronghold in Jazdów (today it is the centre of the city). In those days the prince of Mazovia, Siemowit, stayed there with his court. Preparations for this night were going on, when, from beyond the Vistula, a dispatch rider arrived with threatening news. Aggressors were approaching from the east. The prince immediately sent his wife away with the other women to a safe place and alone, with his 14-year-old son Konrad and other knights, remained in order to defend the stronghold.

  Who could the enemies be - Lithuanians or perhaps Ruthenians? It soon appeared that both were attacking. The Jazdów stronghold guarded the only place in this region where one could safely cross the river. The enemies, approaching from the east, had to pass through this place and confront the Polish defenders. And that is what happened.

  We don't know how long the siege went on, but the chronicles note that the stronghold was captured on Friday, 23 June, due to the treachery of one of the prince's bodyguards. In the conquered stronghold a tragedy took place that even in those cruel times did not happen often. One of the Ruthenian princes killed the captive Prince Siemowit who was tied up. His son Konrad survived because, in the course of the division of prisoners, he fell into the hands of the Lithuanians. A few months later he was ransomed from prison. He lived on for more than 30 years and probably it was he who established the town of Warsaw and built a castle there in the place where today the Royal Castle stands.

2-3 Botanical Garden in Warsaw. On its terrain stood the stronghold of Jazdów where centuries ago the prince of Mazovia, Siemowit, was murdered.

  And what happened to the stronghold of Jazdów? It survived for another 100 years and later was abandoned and all traces of it disappeared. Through the centuries no one knew exactly where this stronghold had been. The fact that it had been in Jazdów, was known, but not the precise place.

  Only in 1969, during archaeological excavation work carried out on the terrain of the present day Botanical Garden, just next to the astronomical observatory in the ˇazienki Park, were traces of this stronghold discovered. It appeared that it had not been a large place and had been used as a seasonal residence of the prince. It had been surrounded by an earthen embankment and wooden palisades and inside there was a small church. It existed up to the 15th century and later was liquidated.

  In this place, on the terrain of the Botanical Garden on Ujazdowskie Ave. right next to the former stronghold, yet another important event took place. After passing the first Polish Constitution of 3 May 1791, the parliament decided to build the Temple of Divine Providence as a thanksgiving to God for this constitution, which was to save Poland. The cornerstone of the building of this temple was placed on the first anniversary of the passing of the constitution, next to the place where the stronghold in Jazdów had stood in the past. A part of the foundation was built (it remains until today) but then Poland was invaded by the Russian army. The temple was not built and Poland lost its independence. After regaining independence, following over 100 years of partition, the idea of building this edifice returned, but further work was interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War. This year on the 211th anniversary of the passing of the Polish Constitution, the cornerstone was placed elsewhere in order to at last fulfil the vow of the predecessors and express thanks for independence regained once more. The Temple of Divine Providence will be constructed in Wilanów, not far from the palace of King Jan III Sobieski. And this time it will surely be built.