he first wooden-earth stronghold was erected here probably in the mid-thirteenth century by bishops of Kuyavia. The place for the construction was chosen very well - it is a promontory of a slope cutting into the Vistula valley, towering high above the area. The stronghold was captured during the second siege by the Teutonic Knights in 1330.
It is not known when the castle was erected, probably it took place shortly after the destruction of the stronghold by the Teutonic Knights, because the bishops wanted to have their residence near Włocławek. Certainly, the castle was erected by bishop Maciej of Gołańcza, who died in 1364. Initially, it was only one building with three floors and dimensions of 12x25 meters. By 1383, it was enlarged to the size of 17x25 meters by bishop Zbylut of Gołańcza, Maciej's successor. At that time,
Projection of the ground floor walls of the palace of Krzysztof A. Szembek according to P. Marosik [Source]
perimeter walls were built along the edge of the slope. During subsequent expansions, farm buildings were built at the southern section of the walls, and in the south-west corner, bishop Jan Karnkowski erected a four-sided tower.
In the period preceding the great war with the Teutonic Order, the castle was used several times for negotiations with the Grand Masters. Jadwiga and Władysław Jagiełło stayed here, holding talks with the Teutonic Knights for the return of the lands of Bobrome and Dobrzyń.
In the years 1582-1600, Hieronim Rozdrażewski expanded the castle and transformed the interiors so that a late Renaissance defensive residence was created. During this reconstruction, a four-sided gatehouse was erected at the dry moat, at some distance west of the castle walls.
After the destruction from the second half of the seventeenth century, the castle was abandoned, and the remains of farm buildings were demolished. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Felicjan K. Szaniawski erected a wooden building outside the castle grounds, and in 1720 bishop Krzysztof Antoni Szembek used the destroyed walls of the main castle building to erect a Baroque palace, for which he hired architect Jan B. Cocchi.
After the partition of Polish, the castle was designated for demolition by the Prussian authorities in 1804. The buildings were ruined by demolition for building material.
The first research was carried out here in the years 1978-1985, after which the castle was secured as a permanent ruin.
Turn off 3D
e first wooden-earth stronghold was erected here probably in the mid-thirteenth century by bishops of Kuyavia. The place for the construction was chosen very well - it is a promontory of a slope cutting into the Vistula valley, towering high above the area. The stronghold was captured during the second siege by the Teutonic Knights in 1330.
