Basement under Fortuna

The Cellar under Fortuna, also known as the Wine Tavern under Fortuna, is a historic room with late Renaissance polychromes, located in the Lubomelski tenement house at Rynek 8 in Lublin. The first mentions of the tenement date back to 1522, and its later reconstruction took place in 1540. The cellar, which is 7.10 m long, 2.7 m wide, and has a barrel vault with a height of 2.45 m, is built of limestone and covered with lime plaster. The decorations in the form of paintings cover an area of 60.57 m² and date back to the early 17th century, according to the analysis of earlier theories. The vault features a depiction of Fortuna—a woman on a sphere—which gives the cellar its name. Among the paintings are emblematic scenes inspired by engravings, seven of which come from the work of the de Bry brothers, and two from the graphics of Heinrich Ulrich. The history of the cellar is turbulent, as in the 18th century the window and entrance were bricked up, which affected the poor condition of the paintings, further damaged by improper use of the space. The first conservation took place in 1937–1939, and further restoration work was carried out after World War II. The cellar has been open to visitors since 2012, and since 2018 work has been underway on a new exhibition, though currently only the paintings can be admired. The site is not only architecturally significant as an example of Renaissance decoration, but also culturally, as a carrier of Lublin's history and interesting interactions among its inhabitants. The damage and repairs to the paintings bear witness to the changing roles of the cellar over different periods and the efforts to protect cultural heritage.