The Lviv Historical Museum is not only the monuments of antiquity, it is the very atmosphere of the past, which is preserved by the museum buildings — the pearls of Lviv Renaissance architecture. One of the sights of public Renaissance architecture of the XVI century in Ukraine is the Kornyakt’s stonework on Rynok Square, 6 in Lviv.
History has left us two names associated with the construction of this stonework — the wine merchant Konstantin Kornyakt, a Greek by birth, and the architect Peter Barbon, an Italian.
Konstantin Kornyakt settled in Lviv in 1569. He came here from Moldavia, where he became rich by renting customs and wine trade. He was a very educated man, knew several languages, had connections and acquaintances in many countries of the East. King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland invited him to be his personal secretary and in 1571 he was granted the title of nobility for certain merits. In 1576, another king, Stefan Batory, confirmed the nobility and by a special decree allowed Kornyakt to build a house with six windows on Market Square. Market Square, a house with six windows on the facade.
Kornyakt bought two stoneworks on the square and one of the sides of the present-day ul. Fedorov Street and built on their place a palazzo in the late Renaissance style with a beautiful courtyard, closed around the perimeter of three rows of loggias. This is the only place in our country Italian courtyard XVI century . The date of completion — 1580 — carved on the portal of the house from the street . I. Fedorov.
The last owners of the house Lubomirski in 1908 sold it to the city in a rather neglected state. In the same year the National Museum named after Jan III Sobieski was opened here. In 1940 this museum was united with the Museum of History of Lviv, which was located at 4, Rynok Street. 4 Rynok Street and received its modern name — Lviv History Museum.
Despite the numerous reconstructions, the house has remained almost unchanged over the centuries. The rustic facade, which ends with a rich attic with figures of the king and knights, was completed in the XVII century. On the first floor there is a Gothic hall — the only monument of secular Gothic in Lviv, a remnant of the house of the XV century. It was dismantled before the construction of the palazzo.
The architect Peter Barbon, an Italian by birth, combined Italian Renaissance forms with local ancient traditions of construction. The house has a beautiful spacious courtyard in the Italian Renaissance style with three-tiered open galleries, enchanting with the rhythm of arcades, supported on columns of the Tuscan order. The harmony of proportions of the courtyard is striking. Massive, easily convex columns of the first floor are replaced on the following floors by slender and more graceful columns, which on the third floor culminate in Ionic capitals.
In the courtyard is preserved bell, cast in Lviv (1586) remnants of the «shame pillar», installed in Lviv on the square . Rynok, at the end of the XVI century and the reconstruction of the «pillar». sculpture of a lion — the symbol of ancient Lviv, carved from stone at the end of the XVI century.
In the Gothic Hall on the first floor of the Kornyakta stonemasonry, an art salon «Gothic-Hall» is open, where you can buy commissioned antiques, as well as works of modern fine and decorative — applied art.
In the so-called royal halls, located on the second floor, the exposition of the Historical Valuables Department is now placed.
In the lobbies of the museum various local history literature is sold, as well as museum publications, in particular, the annual collection «Scientific Notes» with publications of museum scientists, devoted to the history of the museum and its collections.
The courtyard has excellent acoustics. Chamber music concerts are held here, and movies are filmed.
It is one of the favorite places of rest of Lviv citizens and guests of the city. In the cafe, located here, you can have a cup of coffee and have a nice chat, listen to magical music and enjoy the beauty and grandeur of the unique architecture. Museum evenings, literary and artistic events or just relaxing with a cup of coffee in the cozy atmosphere of the courtyard under the sky leave pleasant memories for a long time.