Baranów Sandomierski Castle

In the late 19th century Sławomir Odrzywolski, the first to survey the castle in detail, wrote that it could "boldly stand beside Wawel Castle". That remark gave it the nickname "Little Wawel". The Leszczyński family residence was built in 1591–1606, and its design is attributed to Santi Gucci, court architect to King Stephen Báthory. It is one of the most important late Renaissance (Mannerist) buildings in Poland, also known as the Pearl of the Renaissance.

History: Leszczyńskis, Lubomirskis and two fires

In the 15th century a fortified manor of the Baranowski family stood here. In 1568 the estate was bought by Rafał Leszczyński, and his successors turned the manor into a palazzo in fortezza – a palace that is also a fortress. Around 1620 it was surrounded by bastion fortifications, and in 1625 Giovanni Battista Falconi decorated the interiors with stucco. The last Leszczyński to own the castle was Rafał, father of King Stanisław Leszczyński.

From 1683 the castle belonged to Prince Józef Karol Lubomirski, for whom Tylman van Gameren added a Baroque stucco gallery to the west wing. A fire in 1849 destroyed the interiors and the library. Feliks Dolański bought the ruin in 1867, but in 1898 the castle burned again, and Tadeusz Stryjeński led the rebuilding. After 1945 the castle was used as stables and a store for grain and fertiliser. It was saved by a restoration in 1959–1968 led by Professor Alfred Majewski. Since 1997 it has been owned by the state Industrial Development Agency.

What to see

• The courtyard – raised for fear of river floods and surrounded on three sides by two-storey arcaded galleries with cross vaults. The columns bear carved masks, and a fan-shaped staircase rises to the first floor, forming a loggia.
• The Tylman Gallery and Falconi's tower with gilded decoration.
• The chapel, in Kraków Art Nouveau style, with stained glass by Józef Mehoffer and a painting of the Immaculate Virgin by Jacek Malczewski.
• The cellars – Europe's largest dugout canoe carved from a single tree trunk, a knights' armoury and an exhibition of Ćmielów porcelain.
• A sundial on the wall with the Latin motto "Amicis qualibet hora" – "Any hour for friends".

Interesting facts

The architectural historian Gerard Ciołek showed that the galleries were designed according to the golden ratio, the proportion behind the harmony of Renaissance architecture. The castle also has unusual acoustics: open a window in one chamber and the sound of the fountain is heard several times louder by the opposite wall. Siarkopol, the sulphur company that ran the castle after the war, used this to host concerts. The castle's interiors appear in the TV series "Czarne chmury" and the films "Barbara Radziwiłłówna" and "Klejnot wolnego sumienia".

Tripto tip

The castle is surrounded by a 14-hectare park with English, French and Italian gardens and two protected trees: a tulip tree planted in 1897 and a maple from 1901. Allow 2–3 hours for the interiors, the cellars and a walk in the park. There is a restaurant in the castle and a hotel next door, so it is easy to stay longer. Check opening hours and ticket prices on the castle website before you go. In Baranów you can also visit the Polish Radio Theatre Museum.