Wielopolski Palace in Pińczów

At the foot of Castle Hill in Pińczów stands the elegant Baroque-Classicist palace of the Wielopolski family, built in 1773–1799. It was put up instead of restoring the castle on the hill above – a castle of which the medieval chronicler Jan Długosz wrote that "Poland had none equal to it". Only small ruins of the castle remain, but one of its elements survives in the palace park: a Renaissance pavilion attributed to Santi Gucci.

History: from Oleśnicki's castle to the palace

The hill was first occupied by an early medieval stronghold guarding the limestone quarrymen, destroyed in 1241, most likely during a Tatar raid. In 1427 Pińczów passed to the Bishop of Kraków, Zbigniew Oleśnicki, who had the existing castle pulled down because he wanted a residence "as splendid as the royal castle on Wawel, if not more so". Jan Długosz oversaw the work. Building took 30 years and cost 20,000 grzywnas (silver marks), and the walls were raised from blocks of local limestone known as pińczak.

In 1586 the castle was bought by Bishop Piotr Myszkowski, and the Myszkowski family rebuilt it twice, largely under the direction of Santi Gucci, royal architect and sculptor. A garden, a deer park and pavilions were created, and the famous "Pińczów bathhouse" was known as a "Polish wonder". Guests at the castle included the future queen Cecilia Renata (1637) and King Augustus II the Strong (1697). In 1657 it was plundered by the Swedes.

In the 18th century Pińczów belonged to the Wielopolski family. Franciszek Wielopolski, the 10th lord of the Pińczów entail, decided to build a new residence at the foot of the hill instead of restoring the decaying castle; the design is attributed to the architect Jan Ferdynand Nax.

What to look for

• The façade, divided by a string course, with two stucco reliefs showing mythological scenes.
• The triangular pediment with the founder's coat of arms – Starykoń – combined with the arms of his female ancestors' families.
• Stucco keystones and flower garlands above the windows.
• The late 16th-century garden pavilion in the southern part of the park, the work of Santi Gucci – a reminder of the time when the Myszkowskis laid out a garden and pavilions around the castle.
• The fresco room inside; the interiors were remodelled in the 19th century.

Interesting facts

On the neighbouring hill stands St Anne's Chapel of 1600, regarded as the first free-standing domed chapel in Poland built purely for worship. The palace is still linked to the Wielopolski family today: in 2023 an exhibition "From the Myszkowskis to the Wielopolskis" was created in its cellars, curated by a descendant of the family, Dr Wojciech Wielopolski.

Visiting

The palace is not a museum – it is used by a special-needs school and care centre. The interiors, including the fresco room, can be seen by arrangement with the centre's management or during events. You can view the façade, the park and Gucci's pavilion from outside free of charge; 20–30 minutes is enough.

Tripto tip

Start at the ruins on Castle Hill, walk down to the palace and then cross to the hill with St Anne's Chapel – this way you see three stages of Pińczów's history in one walk. The Regional Museum in Pińczów, the main town of the Ponidzie region, also tells much of the castle's story.