The castle in Krasiczyn is one of the greatest treasures of Renaissance in Poland and ranks among the most beautiful castles in Europe.
It was built between the 16th and the 17th century by Stanisław Krasicki and his son Marcin. After their death the castle belonged to the Modrzewski, Wojakowski, Tarło, Mniszech-Potocki and Piniński families and – last but not least – the Sapieha family, who considerably contributed to the beauty of the park surrounding the castle.
The eastern gate leads to the courtyard where concerts are held during the summer. A special touristic attraction is a recently renovated 17th century chapel. It ranks among such pearls of Polish culture as the King Sigismund's Chapel at Wawel Castle in Cracow.
The castle has two residential wings and two curtain walls crowned with an openwork attic. The four corner towers are called: Divine, Papal, Royal and Noble. Those names reflect the hierarchy of the world recognised by the castle's founders. The castle is covered with sgraffiti decorations depicting Polish kings, from Krasiczyn.
History of the castle
The construction of the Krasiczyn Castle began in 1580. The founder of the castle was Stanisław Krasicki, a descendant of the Masovian nobility (coat of arms: Rogala). The first version of the castle had a primarily defensive function. It was the son of Stanisław, Marcin Krasicki (widely regarded as an outstanding patron of art in Poland at that time) who transformed an austere fortress erected by his father into a splendorous mansion. The castle, as well as the nearby town founded by Marcin Krasicki, was named after its owner.
The construction of the castle was supervised by Italian architects, but the interior decorations were a work of the artists of Przemyśl. The significance of the castle was proven by numerous visits from the Polish kings, such as Sigismund III Vasa, Własysław IV Vasa, John II Casimir and August II the Strong.
After the Krasiczyn branch of the Krasicki family died out, the castle belonged to the Modrzewski, Wojakowski, Tarło, Mniszech-Potocki and Piniński families. In 1835 the Piniński family sold it to Prince Leon Sapieha, whose family owned the estate until 1944, greatly contributing to its development. They not only renovated the castle, but also opened a sawmill, a brewery and a farming machinery
After World War II the castle was taken over by the state. Through the years it housed a forestry school, hotel and conference centre owned by Car Factory (FSO) and finally, in 1996, as a part of the FSO's liquidation process, the castle was taken over by the Industrial Development Agency (Agencja Rozwoju Przemysłu S.A.) located in Warsaw. The renovation carried out by the Agency turned the castle into a modern tourist, hotel and catering base called the Castle and Park Complex. The top class of this facility and the high quality of the services it provides was confirmed in 2000 by The European Castle Hotels & Restaurants – a programme grouping hotels and restaurants located in historical buildings.
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