Angelica Catalani. While today the name might not ring many bells, in Chopin’s times it sparked great emotion. The great singer gave concerts throughout Europe. When in Warsaw, she gave four performances at the Jabłonowski Palace, then the City Hall.
The “Siren of Europe” heard the ten-year-old Fryderyk play at a meeting at Messrs. Wolicki. Enraptured by the boy’s talent, she presented him with a gold pocket watch bearing the inscription: “January 3rd 1820 – to the ten-year-old Fryderyk.”
The Jabłonowski Palace was built by two royal architects, Jakub Fontana and Dominik Merlini. It is a magnificent example of the Polish architecture of the early Enlightenment period.
