Radziejowice Castle


Radziejowice Castle is a complex of Classical residences surrounded by a park, located in the village of Radziejowice, Żyrardów Powiat, Masovian Voivodeship in Poland. Since 1965 the complex has performed the function of a cultural centre, including fine arts. The palace houses a museum and an exhibition space.

History

The location of the palace was already the site of a residence for the Radziejowski family in the 15th century. During the 17th century, the palace, after various expansions and modernisations, took on the Gothic architectural style, as did the other buildings in the complex. During the complex's greatest time of magnificence, the palace was a residence to various Kings of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Zygmund III Waza, Władysław IV and Jan III Sobieski.
The current look of the complex comes from the turning point of the 18th and 19th centuries, after Kazimierz Krasiński's reconstruction of the complex, designed and by Jakub Kubicki. The expansion of the complex was later continued by Józef Wawrzyniec Krasiński, who had built the surrounding landscape park and the small Neo-Gothic castle. During the next decades, the Radziejowski family was visited by people of culture such as Juliusz Kossak, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Lucjan Rydel, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, Józef Chełmoński and Stanisław Masłowski.
The castle and complex were devastated during World War II, but the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage has thoroughly restored the site to its former beauty. Currently, the castle and the complex are visited by writers, columnists, actors, film-makers, musicians and visual artists. Among notable visitors was Jerzy Waldorff.