The real beauty of Kopernyka Street in Lviv is the Potocki Palace. A century and a half ago, the Potocki Palace was the centre of Lviv’s cultural life. The land around the palace has long been called Khorunshchyna since back in the 17th century, it belonged to flag-bearer (khorunzhyi) Stefan Potocki. In the late 19th century, Count Alfred II Potocki, a political figure and governor of Galicia, decided to build a palace here. First, there was a park and a small country estate on this site—a hunting seat on the marshy bank of the Poltva River. The count was known as a philanthropist and connoisseur of French architecture. Therefore, the palace was built upon the project of French architect Louis d’Auvergne. In 1861, the estate was dismantled and in the late 1880s, the construction began. Unfortunately, the count was no longer there to see the palace built. Roman Potocki, the son of Alfred II, completed the construction. The palace was designed for ceremonial receptions and meetings and provided everything for this: numerous living rooms, a wide courtyard for carriages. The main facade was separated from Kopernyka Street by a massive forged gate, with wings for a watchman on both sides. The rear facade of the palace had a terrace; rounded stairs with balustrade lead straight into the park. The interior of the palace was decorated in the fashion of Louis XVI. The Blue Hall, the Mirror Hall, the Red Hall… The walls are covered with wallpapers of the appropriate colour; there is a lot of stucco and gold, fireplaces decorated with gilded bronze, marble, and paintings. The real attraction is the Dancing Hall (the Mirror Hall) and the blue living room—the former dining room of the count. Fireplaces, stucco, and wall paintings have survived to this day. After the Second World War, various institutions were in charge of the palace building. After the restoration of 1975, the Palace of Marriages was opened in the building. Finally, the palace was entrusted to the Lviv Art Gallery. Now, its halls offer visitors the permanent exhibition of interiors and showpieces of the 18th-century European art. The territory of the Potocki Palace hosts the annual Lviv Publishers’ Forum.