Łęczyca - Castle in Łęczyca - About the castle...

Dodatki

e beginnings of the defensive seat in Łęczyca are not clearly explained. The first hillfort from the 11th century has not been located, the remains of the later one, which functioned in the 12th and 13th centuries, are located in the meadows near today's Tum near Podłęczyca. Jan Długosz wrote about this 'ancient' stronghold already during the struggle for power between Władysław Herman's sons: Bolesław, later called Wrymouth, and his half-brother Zbigniew. In 1180, Casimir the Just convened a congress of the

View from the north, photo by ZeroJeden, V 2005

highest Polish dignitaries here, during which a number of reforms were carried out. At this convention the poor were taken under their protection, and it was declared that he who caused them harm was subject to ecclesiastical anathema.

Around the middle of the thirteenth century, Konrad Mazowiecki probably erected a new, more spacious stronghold near the mouth of the Wolica River into the Bzura. The transfer of Łęczyca to the currently occupied area took place either in 1267 during the location of the town, or after its destruction. It is known that Łęczyca was destroyed several times in the second half of the thirteenth century. In 1331, the Teutonic Knights destroyed the town and besieged the castle. Władysław I the Elbow-high did not manage to help in time and the castle was also captured and destroyed. It has not been rebuilt on the former site.

The present castle was probably built in the years 1357-1370, erected by King Casimir the Great after he incorporated the Duchy of Łęczyca into the borders of his state. At the same time, the entire city was

The manor house in Łapsze in a photo from the interwar period

fortified, enclosing it in a shape similar to a square with rounded corners. The castle, included in the series of town walls, occupied the south-eastern corner, and was separated from the town by a wall and a moat supplied with water from the Bzura.

It is located on an artificial embankment rising 5 meters above the surface of the adjacent area. The castle has a plan similar to a rectangle with slightly bent sides, the whole is built of brick, originally in the Polish bond, but now not much of the original face has remained. The perimeter walls were at least 10 meters high, unfortunately it is not known how they were crowned.

From the town side, a drawbridge was thrown through the moat leading to the four-sided gatehouse in the western wall of the castle. This tower had about 10 meters side, under the gate passage there was a prison room for plebs, above the passage - a guard room with a window facing the town. In addition to the gate, the tower also had a wicket gate allowing descent towards the moat.

At the eastern section of the walls there was an 'old house', which was something like a residential tower with a square plan with a side of 15 meters.

photo by ZeroJeden, V 2005

On each of the three floors of the 'old house' there were three rooms. It was distinguished from the rest of the buildings by much stronger walls and a basement, and from its second floor there was probably an entrance to the perimeter walls of the castle and the town walls, where a special pavement led at least to the Dominican church in the north-eastern corner of the town.

In the south-eastern corner, at the perimeter walls, a two-storey building was erected, housing the 'great chamber' and a Gothic hall and armory. However, the destruction of the castle area from the 19th and 20th centuries does not allow us to assess its size and layout. Between this building and the 'old house' there was a one-storey 'great hall' with dimensions of 8 by 6 meters and a height of 4 meters. In the south-west corner there was a huge tower erected on a square plan with a side of about 10 meters, higher turning into an octagon. The original height of the tower is unknown, but the cellars, which have as many as three floors, are interesting. These dungeons served as a prison,

photo by JAPCOK, IV 2005

from which only one escape was recorded - in the 18th century. The only entrance to the tower was from the level of the guard porch on the perimeter walls. The castle had another, smaller turret. It was erected at the southern wall and played an economic role. The remaining farm buildings existing in the castle courtyard were moved to its area outside the castle walls after the fire of the castle.

In 1406, the town with the castle was destroyed and burned by the Teutonic Knights, but already in 1409 Władysław Jagiełło convened a parliament against them, from which it should be concluded that the castle itself did not suffer too seriously and was renovated. After the Battle of Grunwald, the king imprisoned some of the Teutonic prisoners in Łęczyca.

In the years 1563-1565, on the initiative of the castellan of Sieradz and Łęczyca, the royal treasurer Jan Lutomierski,

photo by ZeroJeden, X 2014

the Łęczyca stronghold was renovated and expanded. The scale of the project is evidenced by the inventory from 1564, which lists the scope of works carried out and the amount spent on the expansion - 3000 zlotys. During the expansion, a four-storey 'new house' was erected, partially preserved to this day, between the gatehouse and the northern wall of the castle. The gatehouse itself was renovated and enriched with a staircase added to the southern wall. One storey was added, equalizing the height of the 'new house' and the whole was covered with one roof.

The other buildings of the castle have also been thoroughly renovated and renovated. In the 'old house', the foundations were replaced, one storey was added and an exit to the porches on the perimeter wall was introduced. The 'hall' was renovated and new vaults were introduced. The building with the 'great chamber' and the 'armory' was also raised by one storey. The damaged tower was also built, covered with a new helmet and topped with battlements. The entire perimeter of the walls was strengthened,

photo by Józef Pius Dziekoński, przed 1915 rokiem

and its entire gable was built up with a porch fulfilling both defensive and communication functions, because all castle buildings had entrances to the porch.

In the mid-seventeenth century, the population of Łęczyca was affected by the plague and the town itself was hit by fire. Soon after, in 1655, the weakened town with the castle was taken over by the Swedes. The first attempt to recapture the fortress by the army of Stefan Czarniecki failed, only the troops under the command of King Jan Kazimierz forced the Swedish garrison to capitulate. However, the castle was seriously damaged during these assaults and no one took care of its renovation. The Swedish war in 1703 deepened the destruction and the castle, although partially used, gradually turned into a ruin.

In the seventies of the eighteenth century, the walls and the tower were still secured, and later the Prussian authorities, in connection with the plans to fortify the town, also intended to rebuild the castle, but after the occupation of Łęczyca by the Austrians, the plans were not implemented. In the nineteenth

Aerial photo, photo by ZeroJeden, X 2019

century, the inhabitants of Łęczyca obtained building material from the ruins, fortunately, after the castle was handed over to the city authorities, this practice was stopped. Military barracks were still located in the castle, but no work was carried out, except for securing the weathering walls.

After World War II, interest was taken in the reconstruction of this important building in the history of Poland. The Regional Museum found a place here, and then the buildings located at the western wall, i.e. the tower, the gate tower and the 'new house', were rebuilt.