Castle in Milicz

he settlement of Milicz, mentioned in 1136, belonged to the Wrocław chapter before 1155; It was located on the right bank of the river Barycz, east from the present city, on the so-called Chmielowa Mountain. The remains of the hillfort show traces of very early settlement. In the 13th century, this stronghold was castellan, probably with a two-part spatial layout. As an administrative and military center of a large border area, it played an important role in the history of Silesia. This is where 

photo by ZeroJeden, IX 2002

the old route from Wrocław to Poznań ran. In 1249 there was already a bridge over the Barycz River.

The brick castle, currently in ruins, was built, as indicated by the preserved fragments of the walls, in the mid-fourteenth century. In 1358 Milicz was the property of prince Konrad Oleśnicki. The castle is located on the left bank of the Barycz River, on the opposite side from the stronghold, to the west of the town, which was established on the site of a former market settlement. Located in the lowlands, among the floodplain meadows by the Baryce River, surrounded by deep moats. It is built of brick on an irregular plan, surrounded by a wall with an entrance from the east, with a residential building in the southern part of the courtyard. The remaining buildings were probably wooden.

In 1492 Milicz passed to the Czech Crown, and then into private hands. In 1508, a new gate was built. After the fire in 1536, a building with a large hall was built, with a vault supported by one pillar in the ground floor. In the years 1616 and 1651, Valentine Saebisch developed an unrealized project for the reconstruction of the castle. In the 17th century, a new building was erected in the eastern part of the castle on the site of the former gate. In 1797, a fire destroyed the castle.