Old Włochy ( ) is a neighbourhood, and a City Information System area, in Warsaw, Poland, within the northwestern part of the Włochy district. It forms the southern half of the neighbourhood of Włochy. The area also includes the historic neighbourhoods of Budski Szczęśliwickie, Solipse, and Wiktoryn. The neighbourhood is a residential area, predominantly consisting of single-family low-rise houses, with a smaller presence of apartment buildings. It also has three railway stations, Warszawa Aleje Jerozolimskie, Warszawa Raków, and Warszawa Włochy.
Villages of Sopęchy and Stojarty were first recorded in the area of modern Włochy in 1395 and 1493, respectively. They were founded by the Rakowski family of the clan of Radwan, descending from count Gotard of Służew. In the 15th century, the villages of Porzucewo and Solipse, were separated from Sopęchy. In 1452, a portion of Porzucewo was sold to Jan Włoch, and the village was eventually renamed after him to Włochy in the following century. Sopęchy was burned down by the Swedish army in 1656, during the Second Northern War, while Stojarty was recorded for the last time in the 17th century. In 1888, the Fort V "Włochy" was built in the area, as part of the city fortifications, known as the Warsaw Fortress. In the second half of the 19th century, the manufacturing industry developed in Włochy. Nearby was also founded the hamlet of Wiktoryn. In 1926, the estate was partitioned and sold off for the development of a residential neighbourhood with villa houses. In 1959, a railway station was opened in Włochy, with its tracks crossing it in the middle, dividing it into two neighbourhoods, New Włochy and Old Włochy. In 1930, Włochy became the seat of a new municipality, named after it, which also included Solipse and Wiktoryn. In 1939, all three settlements were merged to form the town of Włochy. In 1951, it was incorporated into the city of Warsaw.
Toponomy The name Old Włochy, is translation of Polish term Stare Włochy, and comes from the fact that the area includes a historical area of the former village of Włochy, founded in the 15th century. For contrast, the neighbourhood of New Włochy mainly consists of an area developed as a residential neighbourhood in 1926. The name Włochy itself comes from Jan Włoch, who acquired a portion of the settlement, originally known as Porzucewo, in 1452. It was first recorded as Włochy, and in 1523, as Włochy alias Porzucewo. The latter name was eventually completely dropped in the first half of the 16th century.
History In 1395, the village of Sopęchy was first recorded in the area of the modern Budki Szczęśliwickie Street. In 1493, the village of Stojarty was also recorded in the area of modern Wiktoryn Street. They were founded by the Rakowski family of the clan of Radwan, descending from count Gotard of Służew. In the 16th century, Sopęchy became home to the descendants of knight Witek, and eventually was renamed to Witki, while the family adopted the surname Witkowiec. In the 15th century, the villages of Porzucewo and Solipse (then known as Solipsy), were separated from Sopęchy. In 1422, the area was owned by knight Strachota. Solipse was first recorded in 1435, eventually becoming property of the Solipski family. In 1452, a portion of Porzucewo was sold to Jan Włoch, and the village was eventually renamed after him. In 1517, it was recorded as Włochy, and in 1523, as Włochy alias Porzucewo. The latter name was eventually completely dropped in the first half of the 16th century.Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, pp. 15–19. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish) In the first half of the 17th century, the landed estate of Włochy was acquired by Andrzej Leszczyński, the Grand Chancellor of the Crown and the primate of Poland, who built there his manor house around 1650, within the current area of New Włochy. The manor, as well as the village of Witki, were burned down by the Swedish army in 1656, during the Second Northern War, and its area eventually became part of Włochy. The nearby Stojarty was also recorded for the last time in the 17th century.
In 1795, the estate of Włochy was acquired by count Tadeusz Antoni Mostowski, a politician and statesman, who later would become the minister of interior of the Duchy of Warsaw, and the president of the Government Committee of the Interior of the Kingdom of Poland. Around 1800, he founded his residence there and developed a park around it. In 1842, they were redeveloped as a neoclassical palace and an English landscape garden, respectively. The estate was acquired in 1844 by entrepreneur Andrzej Koelichen. The residence was again rebuilt in 1859, with a design by architect Aleksander Zabienowski. It became known as Koelichen Palace.Juliusz A. Chrościcki, Andrzej Rottermund: Atlas architektury Warszaw. Warsaw: Arkady, p. 169. ISBN 8301088362. (in Polish) In 1827, Solipse and Włochy had 262 and 81 inhabitants respectively.Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, pp. 25–27. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish) In the 19th century, the brickworks developed in the area, with the first factory, owned by the Koelichen family, being opened in 1842. The mining of clay in the area, used in the brick production, left behind numerous shallow pits, which then flooded, forming small lakes, such as Black Grouse Ponds. By the end of the century, a heavy manufacturing industry also developed in the area. In 1845, railway tracks were built passing through the area. In the second half of the 19th century, the hamlet of Wiktoryn was founded to the east of Włochy. In 1859, the Warszawa Włochy station was established for cargo trains, and after 1863, it also opened to passenger service.Robert Gawkowski: Dawno, dawno temu... na Okęciu i we Włochach. Warsaw: Włochy Tonw Hall, 2016, p. 23. (in Polish) Following the abolition of serfdom in 1864, the area was incorporated into the municipality of Skorosze.Maria Nietyksza, Witold Pruss: Zmiany w układzie przestrzennym Warszawy. In: Irena Pietrza-Pawłowska (editor): Wielkomiejski rozwój Warszawy do 1918 r. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Książka i Wiedza, p. 43. 1973. (in Polish) Between 1883 and 1888, the Fort V "Włochy" was constructed by the Imperial Russian Army, between Salomea, Solipse, and Włochy, as part of the city fortifications, known as the Warsaw Fortress. The government heavily restricted construction in its vicinity, hindering the development of the nearby villages, such as Solipse. The fortifications were retired and partially demolished in 1913.Lech Królikowski: Twierdza Warszawa. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Bellona, 2002, ISBN 83-11-09356-3. (in Polish)Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, p. 29. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish) Afterwards, their abandoned buildings were taken over by the impoverished and homeless population of Włochy and Solipse, with several small shacks developing in the area. In 1930, the squatter settlement was inhabited by several families, and by 1939, it had a population of around 300 people.Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, p. 75. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish)
In the 1870s, Włochy had a population of around 160 people, while in the late 1910s, around 500, while Solipse had 214 inhabitants in the year 1800. At the turn of the 20th century, a small impoverished neighbourhood, known as Budki Szczęśliwickie, was developed as an extension of the village of Szczęśliwice. It consisted of small shacks made from wood, metal, and plywood, placed alongside a street extending to the west from the Kraków Road (now Krakowska Avenue), now forming Włodarzewska and Budki Szczęśliwickie Streets.Robert Gawkowski: "Stasiek-Stencel, cegielnia i niedoszły stadion narodowy, czyli po prostu – Szczęśliwice", [in:] Ochotnik, no. 71 (02). Warsaw: Ośrodek Kultury Ochoty, February 2011, pp. 8–9. ISSN 1734-5510. (in Polish)
In 1926, the landed estate of Włochy was partitioned and sold off for the development of a residential neighbourhood with villa houses. It was designed as a garden suburb by Franciszek Krzywda-Polkowski and Miłosław Kotyński, with an average plot of land measuring 700 m2 (7534.7 sq ft).Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, pp. 37–44. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish) The same year, the Włochy Fire Guard, a local fire department, was founded in the same year, and in 1928, the local police station was also opened.Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, pp. 57–61. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish)Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, pp. 80–88. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish) Additionally, in 1928, the garden around the Koelichen Palace was opened to the public as a recreational urban space, known as the Combatants Park. In 1930, the Włochy Cemetery was also founded at the intersection of Ryżowa and Zapusta Streets, to the north of Fort V.Karol Mórawski: Warszawskie cmentarze. Przewodnik historyczny. Warsaw: PTTK Kraj, 1991, pp. 101–103. ISBN 83-7005-333-5. (in Polish) In 1931, Włochy had around 1000 members of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession. In 1939, the Church of the Epiphany was built at 22 Cietrzewia Street, for the local community of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, which had around 1000 members in 1931. It became part of the Parish of the Holy Trinity.Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, pp. 87–88. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish)
In 1927, the tracks of the Electric Commuter Railway were constructed passing to the south of Wiktoryn. Two stations were opened in the area, Włochy EKD, now known as Warszawa Raków, and Wiktoryn. The line formed a connection between Warsaw and Grodzisk Mazowiecki. In 1932, a branch line was constructed alongside Popularna Street, extending the railway line to Warszawa Włochy station. The Wiktoryn station was moved to the new line, at the intersection of Popularna and Krańcowa Streets, and was later renamed to Warszawa Włochy Graniczna. Additionally, in 1934, the Warszawa Aleje Jerozolimskie station was also opened near Jerusalem Avenue. The Electric Commuter Railway line was closed down in 1971, together with all of its stations in the area, except Warszawa Raków.Robert Gawkowski: Moja Dzielnica Włochy, historia Włoch i Okęcia. Warsaw: Włochy Town Hall, 2010, pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-83-928365-1-3. (in Polish)
On 15 April 1930, Włochy became the seat of a new municipality, named after it, which also included the village of Solipse, and hamlets of Marianówki and Wiktoryn-Rappówek, as well, as small farming settlements extending from Wiktoryn. On 20 October 1933, the municipality was divided into two village assemblies divided by the railway tracks, with Włochy Nowe () in the north, and Włochy Stare () in the south. The Koelichen Palace, together with its garden, became part of the northern side of the municipality.Warszawski Dziennik Wojewódzki: dla obszaru Województwa Warszawskiego. Warsaw: Warsaw Voivodeship Office, 1933, no. 14, position. 136. (in Polish)Warszawski Dziennik Wojewódzki : dla obszaru Województwa Warszawskiego. Warsaw: Warsaw Voivodeship Office, 1933, no. 17, position. 155. (in Polish) On 1 April 1939, the municipality was transformed into a town, keeping the name Włochy. It also incorporated some lands from the nearby municipalities of Blizne and Skorosze.