The Piotrków Trybunalski Royal Castle is a Gothic-Renaissance structure in

Piotrków Trybunalski Piotrków Trybunalski (; also known by #Etymology, alternative names), often simplified to Piotrków, is a city in central Poland with 71,252 inhabitants (2021). It is the second-largest city situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. Previously, it wa ...

, Poland. It was built in the form of a

residential tower A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdictio ...

in the 16th century and was transformed into a museum open to the public in 1919.

History

The stronghold on the left bank of the Strawa River existed in the 13th century. The conventions, which were held here in the 14th century gave the city greater importance in the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...

and according to contemporary chronicler

Jan of Czarnków Jan(ko) of Czarnków ( pl, Jan(ko) z Czarnkowa) (ca. 1320–1387), of Nałęcz coat of arms, was a Polish chronicler, Deputy Chancellor of the Crown and Archdeacon of Gniezno. He started his career as a diplomat in service of one of Polish bishops ...

Casimir III the Great Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He w ...

ordered a residence to be built here, which was accomplished in 1347. The 1493

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of t ...

held at the Piotrków Castle was the first

bicameral parliament Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...

in Poland. It consist of the royal council, called the senate, and the chamber of deputies. In the following years, the building became inadequate for the purposes of the royal court. Therefore, the court architect of King

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...

, Benedykt Sandomierski erected a new residence, which was completed in 1519. The new residence was built in the Renaissance style in the shape of a residential tower on a square measuring 18 × 20 m (19.68 × 21.87 yd). The structure was crowned with a profusely decorated attic. In the 16th century, the castle was the site of frequent regional councils and synods. During the

Deluge A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood. The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the Biblical book of Genesis. Deluge may also refer to: History *Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Comm ...

it was burned by Swedish-

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

ian troops. The reconstruction took place between 1668–1671 supervised by Michał Warszycki, sword-bearer of the Crown. The fortifications were not restored as well as the demolished attic, and the whole structure was crowned with a pavilion roof. With the

Second Partition of Poland The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the Polish–Russian War ...

the castle again fell into disrepair. in 1869 the Russian Governor of Piotrków undertook a restoration to convert the former royal residence into a garrison

Orthodox church Orthodox Church may refer to: * Eastern Orthodox Church * Oriental Orthodox Churches * Orthodox Presbyterian Church * Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand * State church of the Roman Empire * True Orthodox church See also * Orthodox (di ...

. The building suffered again during World War II. After the war the Regional Conservator recommended rebuilding the castle by the state before Warszycki's reconstruction, restoring its Renaissance features. Eventually, the structure was rebuilt between 1963–1969, without restoring the Renaissance attic.

References

External links

Museum in Piotrków Trybunalski
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piotrkow Trybunalski Castle Buildings and structures in Piotrków Trybunalski Castles in Łódź Voivodeship Museums in Łódź Voivodeship Residences of Polish monarchs Royal residences in Poland