Ciechanów Castle
| Ciechanów Castle | ||
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 View from the southwest (river side) |
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| Alternative name (s): | Castle of the Dukes of Mazovia | |
| Creation time : | circa 1344 - circa 1430 | |
| Castle type : | Swamp castle | |
| Conservation status: | reconstructed | |
| Standing position : | residence | |
| Construction: | Brick gothic | |
| Place: | Ciechanów | |
| Geographical location | 52 ° 53 '4.8 " N , 20 ° 37' 9.8" E | |
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The castle in Ciechanów (also the castle of the Dukes of Mazovia ) is a largely preserved or partially rebuilt castle complex from the 14th century. It is located in the city of Ciechanów in the district of the same name in the Polish Masovian Voivodeship and is now used as a museum and for events.
history
It is believed that Duke Ziemowit II of Mazovia began building the castle in 1344. Under his son Ziemowit III. was continued. The complex was completed around 1430 under Duke Janusz I. The architect named Niklos, whose origin is unknown. The castle was completely rebuilt and is not based on previous buildings. It is located on the eastern outskirts of the city on the swampy bank of the Łydynia River .
After the death of the childless Janusz III. the castle fell to Bona Sforza , the widow of King Zygmunt I (Stary), in the 16th century . Under her, the previously simple residential building was converted into a lavishly furnished residence around 1550. Shortly after the queen's death, the castle was no longer adequately maintained. In 1657 and 1708 , Swedish troops partially destroyed the facility during the two Northern Wars. It was damaged again during the Prussian occupation after the third partition of Poland . From the end of the 18th century it was used as a quarry for building buildings in the village. A partial reconstruction began between the world wars and tourists were able to visit them.
During the German occupation in World War II, the castle was the scene of public executions. On December 17, 1942, four soldiers from the Polish Home Army were hanged. A memorial in the courtyard of the castle commemorates this day.
In 2010 archaeological excavations will take place in the courtyard of the castle and especially on the site of the Bona Palace. A reconstruction of the palace is controversial. In the castle there is a branch of the Museum of the Mazovian Nobility from Ciechanów. Both towers and the walkway on the connecting wall are accessible. Mainly historical weapons are exhibited.
The ruins of the Ciechanów Castle served as artistic inspiration for many Polish artists. The writers Zygmunt Krasiński , Hipolit Gawarecki , Stefan Żeromski , Bolesław Prus , Henryk Sienkiewicz and Maria Konopnicka dealt with them in their works.
architecture
The Gothic castle stands on a rectangular floor plan. It consists of a surrounding wall, the south side of which is provided with two round corner towers. There was a prison in the east tower and the armory in the west tower. After the first construction phase (up to the 15th century), the surrounding walls were only about 5 meters high. The castle was surrounded by a moat, which could be crossed on the south side by a fixed wooden bridge to the then entrance gate between the towers. After the water level rose later due to dams on rivers in the area, the inner courtyard of the castle had to be raised by 1.5 meters. The old gate could no longer be used and a higher gate was built on the west side, which could be reached via a drawbridge. The old entrance was filled in. As part of the raising of the courtyard, the outer walls (up to 10 meters) and towers were gradually increased. Since the groundwater level is lower again today, the old entrance gate has been exposed again.
The original castle contained a one-story residential building opposite the old entrance gate in the inner courtyard (leaning against the north wall). After Queen Bona took over the castle, a two-story, palace-like building in the Renaissance style was built in its place in the 15th century . It was called "Wielki Dom" (" Big House "). In the northeast part of the building there was a chapel. A one-story wooden building was built along the east side. Both buildings were demolished during the third partition of Poland.
(Newly manufactured) coat of arms above the current entrance gate on the west side of the castle
View of the defense tower at the southeast corner of the complex
The north wall on which the residence used to be leaned
Museum room in the southwest tower
See also
literature
- Agnieszka and Robert Sypkowie: Zamki i warownie ziemi mazowieckiej. ISBN 978-83-89986-53-5 , Egros, Warsaw 2009, pp. 90ff.
- Reinhold Vetter, Between Wisła / Vistula, Bug and Karpaty / Carpathian Mountains. In: Poland. History, art and landscape of an ancient European cultural nation. DuMont art travel guide, 3rd edition, ISBN 3-7701-2023-X , DuMont Buchverlag, Cologne 1991, p. 224
- Poland. Baedeker Allianz travel guide. Verlag Karl Baedeker, ISBN 3-87504-542-4 , Ostfildern 1993
- Wojciech Górczyk: Ciechanów - zarys dziejów do XV w. Kultura i Historia, Uniwersytet Marii Curie Skłodowskiej w Lublinie, 19/2011, ISSN 1642-9826
Web links
- The castle on Google Earth
- Ciechanów Towarzystwo Opieki nad Zabytkami Castle (in Polish)
- The castle of the mazowian princes on the Ciechanów City website (in English)
- Detailed description with sketches of different construction phases at Zamkipolskie.com (in Polish)
- More information at Zamek-ciechanow.pl (in Polish)
- Reconstructed drawing of the state of construction at the end of the 15th century
References and comments
- ^ Ziemowit II. (Also: Siemowit) of Mazovia (1283-1345) was Prince of Warsaw and Regent of Płock
- ^ Ziemowit III. (also: Siemowit) von Masowien (approx. 1320-1381) was a Mazovian prince and together with his brother Casimir I (of Warsaw) regent in the Polish duchy of Mazovia
- ↑ Janusz I ("the old man") of Mazovia (1346–1429) was a prince of Warsaw
- ↑ a 72 km long river from Choszczewka (source) to the Wkra
- ↑ from left to right: City of Ciechanów ( Saint Peter ), Sforza family , Duchy of Mazovia