“Rialto” Villa
ul. Chałubińskiego 5, 34-500 Zakopane
Tourist region: Tatry i Podhale
It housed the first tuberculosis sanatorium in Galicia, run by doctor Marian Hawranek. The villa has rich architectural detail. The gables with the “słonecko“ (sun) motif with “pazdur” (a spire-like decoration on the end of a rafter beam) and decorations on the balustrade of the porch and balconies stand out.
Over the years, the wooden structure of Willa Rialto has been plastered and only the preserved ornaments and the shape of the building's body remind us of its noble origin. It is one of the first buildings designed in the Zakopane style. It was designed by Witkiewicz and erected in the years 1897-1898 for Teresa Zagórska, who, forced by illness, sold it to doctor Marian Hawranek. He then created the first Dom Zdrowia (Health Centre) in Galicia for people suffering from tuberculosis in a villa. The building can only be viewed from the outside, inside there are private apartments and the property belongs to the city of Zakopane. Some time ago, the local government carried out a general renovation of the villa, which was in deplorable condition at the beginning of the 21st century. Currently, the external façade, wooden elements and the roof have been modernised and partially reconstructed. The facility had gone through various turns of fate, especially in the times of the People's Republic of Poland, incl. the seat of the Social Insurance Institution being located here. Later, the premises were divided into council flats which is still the case until now.