Castle in Knyszyn

he stronghold in the place of today's Knyszyn was probably founded in the fourteenth century by prince Witold, the stronghold served as a border Lithuanian stronghold from the side of Mazovia. In the years 1509-1520, the bishop of Samogitia, Mikołaj Radziwiłł, erected a fortified manor house in the place of the destroyed castle. Later, he donated the Knyszyn estate to King Sigismund I the Old. After 1537, on the initiative of the king, the fortified manor was expanded into a brick castle.

Before 

View from the south-east of the buildings erected in the castle area, photo by ZeroJeden, VI 2008

1568, a second castle was erected for Sigismund Augustus near the city center, on Queen Bona's Hill. Knyszyn was an important place for Sigismund, who often stayed here, including in 1568 when he established the Maritime Commission here. He also died here in 1572.

The starost Jan Zamojski, Grand Hetman of the Crown, was here. In 1663, Knyszyn was pledged to Orsetti, the next owners of the estate were the Gnińskis, Czapskis, and later the Krasińskis.

Even in the nineteenth century, the remains of the walls, which were depicted by Napoleon Orda, were visible. The area of the now non-existent castle was taken over by the State Agricultural Farm in the twentieth century.