Castle and park complex in Baranów Sandomierski

This is one of the most distinguished works of Polish 16th century architecture and it is attributed to the Italian architect Santi Gucci. The edifice with a rectangular floor layout features round towers in the corners and a beautiful inner courtyard accessed via a staircase.

In 1630, the castle was embellished with stucco decorations by the Italian artist Giovanni Battista Falconi. At the end of the 17th century, the castle was owned by Dymitr Wiśniowiecki and later by the Lubomirski family who commissioned the Dutch architect Tylman van Gameren to rebuild and extend the castle. In the 18th century, the estate successively passed into the hands of the  Małachowski, Potocki and Krasicki families. The 19th century saw two fires that destroyed the castle on both occasions. In 1867 the Dolański family became the subsequent owner of the castle and after 1898, the building was restored under the supervision of Tadeusz Stryjeński, an architect from Cracow. He added an Art Nouveau chapel, with the main alter decorated with a painting by Jacek Malczewski, and stained-glass windows contributed by Józef Mehoffer. In the second half of the 20th century, an Italian style garden, designed by Gerard Ciołek, was established in the vicinity of the castle.

In the museum inside the castle you can see a chapel with furnishings representing the style of Art Nouveau. Exhibitions are on display in a few rooms, e.g. in the so-called Portrait Hall (images of Polish kings), and in Tylman Gallery (lush stucco decorations and paintings depicting panorama of Italian towns).

Places worth seeing nearby:

Nowa Dęba – Museum of Christmas Baubles

Tarnobrzeg – palace of the Tarnowski family in Dzików

Lake Tarnobrzeg (at the site of a former open-pit sulphur mine) in Tarnobrzeg

Museum of Polish Radio Theatre in Baranów Sandomierski

Museum of Stories in Rozalin

• urban layout of the town, and the parish church complex

Photo: Piotr Morawski