iepołomice was probably founded in the 13th century, although the first certain information about the settlement comes from 1349. The hunting castle was certainly erected by Casimir the Great, which is confirmed by chroniclers Jan of Czarnków and Jan Długosz. Located near the capital city of Kraków, in forests full of game, it became a frequent place for the king's holiday residence. The castle was built of brick on stone foundations, on a plan similar to a square with a side of less than 60 meters. In the north-east and north-west corners there were rectangular towers, two wings were located along the eastern and southern sides of the complex. Both wings were two-storey, the southern one had two bays and the eastern one one. The entrance was in the western curtain wall.
The real flourishing of the castle took place during the reign of Władysław Jagiełło, who organized meetings of the royal council here as often as hunting. After the victory in the Great War with the Teutonic Knights, the king, returning to Kraków, reached Niepołomice and from there went on foot to the Wawel Cathedral to lay down the captured banners.
Another ruler who contributed to the increase in the importance of Niepołomice was Sigismund the Old. During his time, after 1506, a serious expansion of the castle was made. A four-wing complex
Castle on a postcard from 1946
was created, a two-bay north wing was added to the existing buildings and a single-bay western wing. Around the courtyard, along all wings, wooden cloisters were established, and the entrance gate was located in the southern wing.
The son of Sigismund the Old - Sigismund Augustus also took care of the residence in Niepołomice. After the fire that damaged the castle in 1550, the king entrusted renovation works related to the expansion of the complex to Tomasz Grzymała. The works lasted until 1571 and as a result all wings were raised by one storey. Santi Gucci probably also took part in the works.
The castle remained a royal residence until 1586, then it was handed over to the starosts. No major construction works were carried out at that time, only in 1637 Aleksander Michał Lubomirski rebuilt the cloisters into brick ones. During the Swedish Deluge, the castle was damaged and stripped of its equipment. Then it slowly deteriorated and the renovation works were superficial.
Around 1800, as a result of adaptation by
View from the southern corner of the courtyard, photo by ZeroJeden, VI 2006
the Austrians into barracks, the top floor was demolished. From the beginning of the 19th century, quite superficial renovations were carried out again. Only the reconstruction carried out at the end of the last century restored the splendor of the castle from the times of royal reign in the castle. Already during this reconstruction, a marketplace was found in the courtyard, but now the entire complex is used for museum and cultural purposes.
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epołomice was probably founded in the 13th century, although the first certain information about the settlement comes from 1349. The hunting castle was certainly erected by Casimir the Great, which is confirmed by chroniclers Jan of Czarnków and Jan Długosz. Located near the capital city of Kraków, in forests full of game, it became a frequent place for the king's holiday residence. The castle was built of brick on stone foundations, on a plan similar to a square with a side of less than 60 meters. In the north-east and north-west corners there were rectangular towers, two wings were located along the eastern and southern sides of the complex. Both wings were two-storey, the southern one had two bays and the eastern one one. The entrance was in the western curtain wall.
