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Krzyżtopór Castle, Ujazd, Poland (part 5 of 5)

According to legend, there once lived a relative of Krzysztof Ossoliński in the castle, as well as a subordinate of the famous Duke of Toruń. She allegedly experienced a romantic disappointment that caused her to become a very unpleasant, cruel, and hypocritical woman. However, she had a favorite – a white, fluffy little dog. She often provoked scandals and ordered punishments. She was convinced that her dog could recognize bad people, which is why she would throw anyone into the dungeon whom the dog barked at. One day, a courtier arrived at the castle from very distant lands. Upon seeing him, the dog immediately began to bark. The woman, of course, wanted to condemn him as well, but the courtier killed both her and her dog, and shoved their bodies into the dungeon. To this day, the spirit of the cruel woman roams the castle.

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Krzyżtopór Castle, Ujazd, Poland (part 4 of 5)

Krzysztof Ossoliński was extremely well-known for his passion for astrology, symbolism, and even magic, which was most likely taken into account in the design of the castle. One theory suggests that there were allegedly 4 main towers, 12 halls, 52 chambers, and 365 windows in the palace, referencing the 4 seasons, 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a year. This information is merely a conjecture and has never been confirmed.

However, another symbolism is certain – on the left side of the entrance gate, there is a heliograph that resembles the letter W. According to researchers, it refers to Aramaic ornamentation, symbolizing the eternal existence of the place. The entrance gate is adorned with bas-reliefs, which, according to one theory, are related to the name Krzyżtopór. One of them, located on the left side, is in the shape of a cross and is meant to symbolize Ossoliński's counter-reformist views, while the axe, in the shape of the second bas-relief on the right side, appears in his family coat of arms.

As for the name, there is also another theory regarding its origin, suggesting that it derives from the name Krzysztopór, which is a direct reference to the name and coat of arms of Ossoliński. Furthermore, for many years, a plaque hung above the entrance gate with the inscription: “Cross of defense, Cross of support, children of our Ax” - this inscription also referred to the coat of arms of the castle's founder.

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Krzyżtopór Castle, Ujazd, Poland (part 3 of 5)

As Krzysztof Ossoliński was fascinated by Italian architecture, he designed his castle in the Italian style of palazzo in fortezza, i.e. on the principle of a residential palace combined with the function of a defensive fortress. Inside the fortifications there is a three-story palace built on a rectangular plan. It is characterized by a courtyard with an elliptical ending. The entire structure of the castle was built on a pentagonal plan, with defensive towers placed on its tops. A gate was also built on the main axis through which it was possible to enter the castle. There is also an octagonal tower right next to the gate. The castle is additionally surrounded by an earth rampart, also built on a pentagonal plan with bastions at the corners. The beauty of the castle’s structure can be appreciated especially after viewing it from above, from a bird’s eye perspective, because only then are the even geometric shapes of the building noticeable. Interestingly, there were once beautiful gardens around the castle walls, measuring as much as 1.6 hectares.

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Krzyżtopór Castle, Ujazd, Poland (part 2 of 5)

Krzyżtopór Castle is considered the life’s work of the chamberlain of Sandomierz - Krzysztof Ossoliński, who later also became a voivode and a member of the Sejm. He lived in the years 1587-1645. The castle was built mainly thanks to funds collected as a result of Ossoliński’s war supplies. It was built in the years 1627-1644. Ossoliński wanted to create a magnate palace that would surpass in its scale and wealth all the palaces in the entire kingdom. He was particularly inspired by Italian architecture, which he learned during his numerous travels. Certainly, after the palace was built, there was splendor and wealth in it - it was filled with precious sculptures, unique paintings and ornate furniture and carpets. This is not certain information, but most likely in the octagonal central tower there was even a huge aquarium with almost a hundred colorful fish inside. The bottom of the aquarium was also supposed to be the ceiling of the ballroom.

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Krzyżtopór Castle, Ujazd, Poland (part 1 of 5)

The castle ruins include a palace, outbuildings and five-sided bastion fortifications. They cover an area of approximately 1.3 ha. The location of the castle is undoubtedly not accidental, because there is a water spring in the basement, more precisely under the octagonal tower, and what is more, according to legends, in the castle’s basement there is also a secret entrance to a tunnel that would connect it with the castle in Ossolin, located about 20 km away. Both of these castles belonged to the Ossoliński family. The founder of the castle was Krzysztof Ossoliński.

It is extremely interesting that the layout of the building and the entire spatial arrangement of the palace building were most likely greatly influenced by mysterious symbols, astrology and the magic of numbers. For example, according to tradition, the palace was supposed to contain, in accordance with the arrangement of seasons, months, weeks and days in the calendar year: 4 towers, 12 halls, 52 chambers and 365 windows.

#zamek #castle #ruiny #ruins #architektura #architecture #krzyztopor #ujazd #polska #poland #swietokrzyskie #widok #view #krajobraz #landscape #history #historia