| Baranów Sandomierski Castle | |
|---|---|
| Bar1DSC 0384.JPG | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Polish Mannerism |
| Town or city | Baranów Sandomierski |
| Country | Poland |
| Construction started | 1591 |
| Completed | 1606 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | circle of Santi Gucci |
Baranów Sandomerski Castle is a Mannerist castle located in Baranów Sandomierski in the Subcarpathian Voivodship, south-east Poland. The castle is one of the most important Mannerist structures in Poland.
The castle is known as the "little Wawel".[1] According to Polish law, it is a "class zero monument". Originally, a residency of the Lubomirski family, it nowadays serves as a museum, hotel and conference centre.
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The castle was built around the years 1591–1606 for Rafał and Andrzej Leszczyński in the style of Polish Mannerism with richly decorated attics, side towers and arcade courtyard.[2] It is believed to be the work of a famous architect, Santi Gucci, the court artist of king Stephen Báthory.[2] In about 1620 the castle was surrounded by bastion fortifications and in 1625 the chambers were adorned with early baroque decorations executed by the eminent stucco decorator Giovanni Battista Falconi.[1]
By the end of the 17th century, the owners were the Lubomirski family, who decided to change their residence. Prince Józef Karol Lubomirski hired a Dutch-Polish architect Tylman Gamerski, who built the western wing gallery and embellished the interiors with profuse late-baroque stucco decorations.[1] The gallery was intended to house a collection of art (all the works were destroyed in two fires in 1848 and 1898).
Castle in Baranów Sandomierski passed successively into the possession of families: Wiśniowiecki, Sanguszko, Lubomirski, Małachowski, Potocki and Krasicki. In 1867 it was acquired by Feliks Dolański.[3]The structure was restored by subsequent owner Stanisław Dolański after a fire in 1898.[3] Under the direction of Kraków architect Tadeusz Stryjeński some changes were carried out in the layout.[3] During this reconstruction one of the chambers on the ground floor was adopted as chapel and decorated in art nouveau style. Stained-glass windows by Józef Mehoffer and an altar with a painting of Jacek Malczewski Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception were major features of the interior. The castle remained in the possession of the Dolański family till the outbreak of World War II.[2] After war damages the castle was rebuilt in the years 1959-1969 by the State under the guidance of professor Alfred Majewski. Then the bilding passed to Sulphur Mines and Plants "Siarkopol" in Tarnobrzeg.[2]