The ''

osiedle (Polish plural: ) is a term used in Poland to denote a designated subdivision or neighbourhood of a city or its , or of a town, with its own council and executive. Like the and sołectwo, an is an auxiliary unit (''jednostka pomocnicza'') of ...

'' Old City () is the oldest

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

of the city of

Zamość Zamość (; ; ) is a historical city in southeastern Poland. It is situated in the southern part of Lublin Voivodeship, about from Lublin, from Warsaw. In 2021, the population of Zamość was 62,021. Zamość was founded in 1580 by Jan Zamoyski ...

. It is one of

World Heritage Sites in Poland The UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural heritage, cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, establish ...

(added in 1992). According to UNESCO, this monument value lies in it being "an outstanding example of a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

planned town A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...

of the late 16th century, which retains its original layout and fortifications and many buildings of particular interest, blending Italian and Central European architectural traditions". The Medieval Town has an area of 75 ha and a buffer zone of 200 ha. The district was named one of Poland's official national Historic Monuments (''

Pomnik historii Historic Monument (, ) is one of several categories of objects of cultural heritage in Poland, objects of cultural heritage (in the singular, ''zabytek'') in Poland. To be recognized as a Polish historic monument, an object must be declared suc ...

''), as designated September 16, 1994. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland.

History

Zamość was built in the late 16th century in accordance with the Italian theories of the "

ideal town In urban design, an ideal city is the concept of a City planning, plan for a city that has been conceived in accordance with a particular rational or moral objective. Concept The "ideal" nature of such a city may encompass the moral, Spiritua ...

." The construction of this new town was sponsored by

Jan Zamoyski Jan Sariusz Zamoyski (; 19 March 1542 – 3 June 1605) was a Polish nobleman, magnate, statesman and the 1st '' ordynat'' of Zamość. He served as the Royal Secretary from 1565, Deputy Chancellor from 1576, Grand Chancellor of the Crown f ...

, and carried out by architect

Bernardo Morando Bernardo Morando (also known as Bernardino or Morandi; 1540 - 1600) was an Italian architect from the Republic of Venice. He is notable as the designer of the ''new town'' of Zamość, modelled on Renaissance theories of the 'ideal city'. Born ...

. The town shows examples of Renaissance style, mingling "

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

taste ..with certain Central European urban traditions, such as the arcaded galleries that surround the squares and create a sheltered passage in front of the shops".

Geography and monuments

Morando designed the town as on a

hexagon In geometry, a hexagon (from Greek , , meaning "six", and , , meaning "corner, angle") is a six-sided polygon. The total of the internal angles of any simple (non-self-intersecting) hexagon is 720°. Regular hexagon A regular hexagon is de ...

al plan with two distinct sections: on the west the noble residences, and on the east the town proper, developed around three squares (the Grand Market Square, the Salt Market Square and the Water Market Square). Key monuments of Zamość include about 200 monuments, including the Grand Market Square surrounded by numerous kamienice and Zamość City Hall. The Old Town also sports the

Zamość Cathedral The Cathedral of the Resurrection and St. Thomas the Apostle ( ), commonly known as Zamość Cathedral, is a religious building that is affiliated with the Catholic Church and is located in the old town of Zamość, a city in southeastern Poland ...

, the Zamość Synagogue, the

Zamojski Academy The Zamoyski Academy (; ; 1594–1784) was an academy founded in 1594 by Polish Crown Chancellor Jan Zamoyski."''Akademia Zamojska''" ("Zamojski Academy"), ''Encyklopedia Polski'', p. 13. It was the third institution of higher education to be fo ...

, and the Zamojski Palace. The Old Town is surrounded by the remains of the

Zamość Fortress Zamość Fortress () is a set of fortifications constructed together with the city of Zamość (southeastern Poland). It was built between 1579 and 1618, and the construction was initiated by Chancellor and Hetman Jan Zamoyski. It was one of the ...

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The

World Heritage Committee The World Heritage Committee is a committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization that selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Her ...

passed Zamość as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1992 on the basis of

criteria Criterion (: criteria) may refer to: General * Criterion, Oregon, a historic unincorporated community in the United States * Criterion Place, a proposed skyscraper in West Yorkshire, England * Criterion Restaurant, in London, England * Criterion ...

(iv - "is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history"). In this particular case, Zamość was recognized as "an outstanding example of a Renaissance planned town of the late 16th century, which retains its original layout and fortifications and many buildings of particular interest, blending Italian and Central European architectural traditions."

References

History of Zamość World Heritage Sites in Poland

History

Geography and monuments

UNESCO World Heritage Site

See also

References

External links