Zamoyski Palace in Zamość

Zamość began with this building: the palace of Chancellor and Grand Hetman Jan Zamoyski was the first structure raised after the town was founded. After centuries of rebuilding it now looks modest and awaits restoration, but together with the equestrian statue of the hetman it closes off the western side of the Old Town – and its story is more interesting than its façade suggests.

History: from residence to hospital and courthouse

The palace was built in 1579–1586 to a design by Bernardo Morando, the Italian architect who planned the whole "ideal city" of Zamość. At the time it had its own walls separating it from the town, a rectangular plan about 60 m long, two storeys, a tower with a terrace and a double staircase facing the Great Market Square. It burned down in 1658; after 1660 the third lord of the Zamość estate, Jan "Sobiepan" Zamoyski, rebuilt it in Baroque style. Soon afterwards the palace hosted the Polish premiere of Corneille's "Le Cid" in a translation by Andrzej Morsztyn.

In 1689–1690 Jan Michał Link enlarged the residence, and in 1747–1751 Jan Andrzej Bem and Jerzy de Kawe remodelled it in late Baroque style: the tower was lowered and wings and a courtyard closed by an iron-grilled gate were added. After 1803 the palace was given a Neoclassical look. The turning point came in 1821, when the Zamoyskis sold it to the state; in 1831 it was converted into a military hospital for the fortress, stripping it of its former decoration. Between the wars a printing house operated in the north wing – after 1945 it was the only undamaged printing works in Poland east of the Vistula, producing the first official gazettes and posters. From 1918 (1922 according to the PAP news agency) until 2017 the palace housed the law courts.

What to see

• The façade on ul. Akademicka and the former courtyard – the interiors are not open to visitors.
• The equestrian statue of Jan Zamoyski, mace in his right hand, standing in front of the palace since 2005. Before the war a grand monument by the Warsaw sculptor Maria Rychterowa was planned here, but the war put an end to the plans.
• The palace – Great Market Square axis: looking down Grodzka Street you can see how Morando linked the residence with the square.

Plans for the future

In April 2026, on the 446th anniversary of the town's founding charter, Zamość held a conference on the palace's future. Culture Minister Marta Cienkowska pledged support, including funding, and Mayor Rafał Zwolak presented ideas such as a centre of culture and science for children and young people; a panel of experts is to work out the building's future use. First, the architectural and archaeological surveys need to be completed. The restoration project itself was estimated at PLN 2–3 million; no timetable has been set.

Tripto tip

The palace stands on ul. Akademicka in the western part of the Old Town – a few minutes' walk from the Great Market Square along Grodzka Street. Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to see it from outside, so treat it as a stop on a walk, around the Old Town, ideally between the Great Market Square and the western part of the old fortress. For the best photo of the palace with the statue, stand on the pavement of ul. Akademicka, where the statue is closest to the street.