At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, after the partitions of the First Polish Republic, a town Puławy became the main center of Polish culture, known as the Polish Athens. Visited by eminent thinkers, writers and artists, Duchess Izabela Czartoryska (1746-1835) opened the first museum of national memorabilia and valuable works of art including the paintings “Lady with an Ermine” by Leonardo da Vinci or “Portrait of a Young Man” by Rafael Santi.
Considering the liquidation of the Polish state by the invaders and the regression of the main centers of culture, including Warsaw, Izabela Czartoryska created in her residence in Puławy an important center of Polishness with a famous museum, which was opened in 1801 to commemorate the times of fame and greatness of Poland. She supported Polish painters and writers. The Czartoryski family also financed scientific work of a large group of scientists and educated aristocratic and noble youth, including Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746-1817), later hero of the US Independence War. In addition to the school managed by the duke Czartoryski, duchess Czartoryska financed a boarding house for poorer noblewomen and an elementary school. The duchess created textbooks for mass students, developed gardening and theater. Prince Adam Kazimierz also helped reorganize the Vilnius University.
The era of Athens in Puławy ended in 1831. The Russians confiscated the Czartoryski property for supporting the November Uprising. Some of the palace’s furnishings were taken to Russia, some were sold at auctions. The collections of the Puławy museum and library were moved to Paris and saved there. Then they finally were transferred to Kraków, where from 1876 they formed the core of the Czartoryski Museum.
After more than a hundred years, due to its strategic location, Puławy once again became an important place for Poland. In August 1920, Józef Piłsudski prepared plans to stop the Bolshevik invasion there. Currently, the Czartoryski Palace in Puławy is a museum, preserving the memory of the cultural heritage of the capital from the period of the partitions.