History

The present building of the Crown Tribunal was preceded by an earlier town hall, probably built in 1389 and destroyed by a fire at the end of the 15th century.  The building was rebuilt in Renaissance style in the first half of the 16th century, but in 1575 it burnt down during one of the largest fires in the history of Lublin. The fire destroyed nearly all town buildings. The building was rebuilt as early as 1578. and, by the decision of King Stephen Báthory, it was designated as the seat of the Crown Tribunal. Since then, for over 200 years, the City Council held its meetings there and the six-monthly sessions of the Tribunal were also held there. In the 1670s, a second floor was added and the elevations of the building were decorated in a Baroque style according to Flavius Marchetti’s plans. The building wad remodelled again in the 1770s by the court architect of Stanislaus II Augustus, Dominik Merlini. The resulting building was larger and its tower had been removed. The elevations were given a new classicist appearance and the interiors were embellished with polychrome decorations. 

In 1836, the vertical passageways (the existing stairs) and the entrance hall on the ground floor were altered. Inside, the rooms were gradually divided into smaller ones.

Between 1987 and 1989, the building was thoroughly renovated. The interiors regained their former layout from the times of Merlini's reconstruction and the polychrome decorations were restored. In 1996, the roof and the elevations were renovated. In 2000-2002 and 2004, the polychromes were renovated again. Nowadays, the building of the former Crown Tribunal houses the Wedding Palace and it is also a popular venue for concerts and conferences. The cellars have been adapted as the Lublin Underground Route, where one can see, among other things, fragments of the foundations of the oldest town hall, scale models illustrating the spatial development of Lublin and a multimedia version of the painting The Fire of the City of Lublin.

Description

The building is located in the central part of the Old Town Square. The façade is facing north-west. It has stone and brick walls covered with plaster from the inside and from outside. Erected on a plan resembling a square, it has a tripartite, four-bay interior layout with a hallway on the central axis, where a wide side staircase provides access to the upper storeys. The two-storey body of the building, partly cellared (with two-storey cellars), has a cube-like shape and is covered with a gable roof with triangular pediments. The ground floor has double barrel vaults.

Symmetrical, five- and six-axial, three-storey elevations are set on a plinth, with rustications on the ground floor level. At the first and second storey levels, the elevations are divided in the giant order by pairs of Ionic pilasters. The whole is topped with a strip of smooth friezes and a profiled and serrated crowning cornice.

Rectangular multi-section windows (of various sizes on particular floors) have no surrounds on the ground floor. On the upper storeys, they are architecturally framed by a window cornice resting on volute supports or rectangular corbels decorated with metopes, guttae (teardrops) and rosettes.

A five-axial façade with a four-pillar pseudo-avant-corps on the axis. In the pseudo-avant-corps on the ground floor, there is a semi-circular opening of the main entrance. On the first floor, there is an arched balcony door in an arcaded surround preceded by a shallow balcony with an openwork balustrade. Above, there is a low window of the second floor. The whole is topped with a triangular pediment with the coat of arms of the Republic of Poland incorporated into an allegorical figural group symbolizing the power and justice.

At the end of the rear elevation, there is a pediment similar to the one on the façade, with a garland of oak leaves and rosettes with a mascaron in the centre.

In the western side elevation, there is an external entrance to the cellars with an underground corridor running beneath the Market Square.

The interiors are decorated with polychromes, including Renaissance and Baroque paintings.

The interiors are accessible during the opening hours of the Wedding Palace and of the Lublin Underground Route.

The Lublin Underground Route is open all year round with the exception of public holidays.

Opening hours

Friday              10:00–16:00

Saturday         12:00–17:00

Sunday           12:00–17:00

Monday          10:00–15:00

Tuesday         10:00–16:00

Wednesday    10:00-16:00

Thursday        10:00-16:00