Patrykozy Palace

The palace in Patrykozy stands "literally in the middle of the fields" – that is how members of a Warsaw University of Life Sciences alumni trip described it, calling it the pearl of southern Podlasie. The neo-Gothic residence with an octagonal tower and the Lubicz coat of arms in its gable was built in 1823–1843 for General Teodor Karol Szydłowski. After years of looting, abandoned rebuilding attempts and ruin, it regained its former appearance only after 2003.

History: a general, a priest and restaurateurs

The village has a long pedigree – in 1673 it belonged to Jan Dobrogost Krasiński, starost of Warsaw and Crown referendary. The palace was designed by Franciszek Jaszczołd for General Szydłowski, who settled in Patrykozy after the November Uprising of 1830–1831 against Russian rule was crushed. After his death his nephew Antoni Szydłowski inherited the estate and later sold it. The palace changed hands several times, and just before the Second World War it was bought by a priest named Solnicki.

After the war, the priest's heir sold two-thirds of the property to the local municipality. Unsupervised, the building was looted and decayed. In the 1980s a decision was made to rebuild it, and by 1989 considerable reconstruction had been done, but the money ran out. In the 1990s the estate was bought by the Gesslers, a well-known Warsaw restaurant family; their works also stopped for lack of funds, and the palace slid back into ruin. The turning point came in 2003, when Maurycy Zając bought it – the following years brought reconstruction and a return to its historic look.

What to look for

• The Lubicz coat of arms in the rectangular gable beside the octagonal tower – the emblem of the Szydłowski family.
• Neo-Gothic details – pinnacles, battlements and pointed windows, typical of the fashion for English Gothic in the first half of the 19th century.
• The round tower and glazed veranda on the garden side.
• The park – part of the palace complex, listed together with the palace.

Tripto tip

Patrykozy lies in the Bielany municipality, Sokołów county, in the Masovian Voivodeship. The palace is privately owned – view it from outside and don't enter the grounds without permission. Organised groups have been shown round by prior arrangement, so if you want to see the interiors with their reconstructed stoves, fireplaces and wooden staircase, try contacting the owner well in advance. A stop to see it from outside takes 15–20 minutes.