The castle dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was the residence of the Mazovian dukes. At the end of the 16th century, it became the royal residence of the Polish kings. In September 1939 the castle was bombed by the Germans, and in 1944, after the collapse of the Warsaw Rising, it was blown up by the Nazis. In 1971-1984 the castle was painstakingly rebuilt and reconstructed. The project was funded exclusively from the voluntary contributions of individual Poles. The reconstructions were based on the source materials. The reconstructed apartments are furnished with the salvage as well as gifts from the head of states and governments. Many fragments of the old stonework and fireplaces were also built in the reconstructed walls.