The Kornyakt Palace (also called Royal Mansion or Little Wawel) situated on Market Square in Lviv was completed in 1580 and represents an extremely valuable Renaissance monument.
It was built by architect Piotr Barbon for the wealthiest citizen in the whole history of Lviv - the merchant Constantine Kornyakt.
Greek by origin, originally from Crete, Constantine Kornyakt settled in Lviv in the 16th century. He controlled the wine trade along the entire Black Sea coast.
He was a benefactor, an experienced and wise man who spoke many eastern languages.

According to the laws of the time, all houses situated in Market Square could have not more than three windows along the façade; this was a so-called rule of equal opportunity.
The richest citizen in Lviv - Constantine Kornyakt - could not violate this rule; only later, for his services to Polish kings, he acquired the title of nobleman and got a permission to build a palace with six windows.
After Korniakt's death in 1603, it was purchased by Jakub Sobieski in 1640, and inherited by his son King Jan III Sobieski.
It was remodelled into a palatial residence and a Royal Mansion with spacious rooms and an audience hall: the property and residence of Polish King Jan III Sobieski.
It is now part of the Lviv History Museum.