Krakowskie Przedmieście; the Palace was Chopin's last home before he went into exile. In 1837–39 it would be home to poet Cyprian Norwid, author of "Chopin's Piano" about the Russian troops' 1863 defenestration of the instrument. In 1851–52 the palace was rebuilt by Enrico Marconi. From 1909 to the outbreak of World War II, the building belonged to Edward Raczyński, future President (1979–86) of the Republic of Poland in Exile. The palace burned in 1939 after being shelled by German artillery, and priceless paintings and books are thought to have been destroyed. It was reconstructed in 1948-59 to a design by Stanisław Brukalski. After restoration, the palace was incorporated into the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. Today In the courtyard before the Palace stands a copy of Andrea del Verrocchio's equestrian statue of the Venetian condottiere Bartolomeo Colleoni. In the south annex to the Palace, facing directly onto Krakowskie Przedmieście, a large second-floor room, the Chopin Family Parlor (Salonik Chopinów), features period furniture and memorabilia of the composer. The parlor's interior and decor, from the first half of the nineteenth century, have been reconstructed from sketches made in 1832 by Antoni Kolberg. The parlor is open to the public. The Academy of Fine Arts museum that opened in 1985 holds 30,000 works from all fields of visual art: painting, sculpture, graphics, drawing, posters, architecture, artistic crafts, industrial design. The museum is located in the Palace's attic. The collections are held in 200 square metres of storage rooms, while the exhibition rooms host meetings, lectures and temporary displays. See also Branicki Palace, Warsaw Brühl Palace, Warsaw Krasiński Palace Notes External links Pałac Czapskich Houses completed in 1705 Rococo architecture in Warsaw Palaces in Warsaw Universities and colleges in Warsaw Art museums and galleries in Poland Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw 1705 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth