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Grzybow was at that time the real shelter for trade and beer. In the XVII th century there were ... 28 breweries! And where there is beer, there are also nice hoydens. Inn in Grzybow was always bursting at the seams, famous for its numerous beers and savoury victuals. Different nations were longing to that place.
Different languages could be heard there: there was the Nobility from Crown and Lithuania, the Kozacs from Ukraine, The Tatars and Hungarians in the service of magnates that used to come for gatherings and voting, Hired royal officers: the Germans, the French, the Scots, the Swedes, the Irish, liquor lovers, even foreign emissaries. There were crowds of them, also those sent by the Sultan of Turkey, who ruled the half of the world, took a liking to Grzybow.
The Ormian market was near, and the Jewish merchants, plenty of merchandise so one could do business and then carouse! They drank, enjoyed life, and sang their chants, so the inn was always filled with joy and amicable crowd.
Fine young men used to come here to amuse themselves with the hoydens. Those of you who do not believe shall read Mr Morsztyn's epigrams ... he, himself, used to cool his lust with our beer and write epigrams:
"You laugh when they play with you on the table,
and then you cry when the play is done
Why is that so? Do you weep for the play?
Or for that was once and that is done? ..."
It was joyful in the inn in the days of him and his companions, oh yes it was, with the endless playing tricks by the copiously filled table.
Finally Mr Morsztyn settled down and married Catherine Gordon of Huntly, a beauty, younger hoyden. She was a Scot relative of royal Stewart family. He brought his Cathy to the inn, for her to taste Polish meats and recommend the place to her royal relatives. And that is the way how the victuals of this place became popular in the distant England and Scotland.
And do you know what happened a hundred years later? You shall drink more beer, for you will fall of the chairs.
Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, the most famous seducer of the world, came to Warsaw in the year 1765. At that time, Warsaw was a city of joy, with beautiful ladies and hoydens keen on amusement. And at the dawn of Spring of 1766, the very famous Casanova got into trouble. The reason was a woman, of course. It was a charming, Italian actress, whom Lithuanian general and swashbuckler Franciszek Ksawery Branicki fell in love with. The dispute of the gentlemen in the actress' wardrobe concluded with the mutual insult and duel. At the dawn, on March, 5, 1766 both gentlemen, together with the witness General Czapski, went by carriages to the gardens of Wola in search for secluded place. They settled on guns. The shots disturbed the air. Casanova with injured arm was still standing, while Branicki, flooded with blood, fell on the ground. The wound seemed fatal. General's servants immediately wanted to shatter Casanova with their swords, but he stopped them. Wounded Branicki was taken to the nearest inn and it was the one in Grzybow, where you are now tasting the victuals and beverages. He whispered:
- You killed me, Lord. You shall flee as you will be taken to the scaffold.
While saying that, he even wanted to give Casanova a pouch with the Dukats, but he did not accept the money and left the inn. The peasant he met by chance gave him a lift to Senatorska street and wounded Casanova found a shelter in monastery. At that time, Branicki's friends started to come to the inn and the news that he was dying spread across the city. The city was angered. The quack who arrived at the inn at the Walicow and Grzybowska crossing, took care of general's wounds and since the bullet did not hurt any serious arteries, he recovered. Duel of the famous Casanova with Polish magnate and King's friend became social sensation among European elites. It was talked about in London, Paris, Venice, Rome and Moscow. Those of you who do not believe or who are willing to learn what happened later on shall read Casanova's memoirs. Even the King showed his interest in this matter and listened to General Czapski's story carefully.
There were people coming to the inn just to see the settle stained with Branicki's blood. They all stayed for the meal. There were officers from the famous Knight's School coming for a pint of beer. Tadeusz Kosciuszko, young talented boy was among them. In 1769, when he was twenty-three, he celebrated in the inn his promotion for captain. Unfortunately, the times changed and the frequent visitors went to the battlefields. The inn, with its famous settle, burnt down in 1831, during the November Uprising when the Moscals won the district of Wola ... but that is a different story.
The renovated inn is filled with new life today. Thus enjoy, eat, drink as there is plenty of everything here, as it used to be before. We want to host in an old-Polish way all the nations, enjoy time and music in various languages. To the guests!
For those of you who do not believe, or who have not read Morsztyn's tales, and think Casanova was created by writers, we advise you to look into the books where you can find many extraordinary and truthful stories. Here are the most important:
G.G. Casanova - Memoirs - Warsaw 1961
Jan Andrzej Morsztyn - Poems. Selection. - Warsaw 1988
Main Archive for Ancient Acts - Letters of different people to countess Potocka
Poland in Stanislavian Era in foreigners' perspective - Warsaw 1963
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