The surviving remnants of the structure indicate the successive stages of extension of this fortified building, which makes use of the surrounding terrain - a marshy area making it easier to hinder enemy progress.

History

The castle in Borysławice Zamkowe was erected in the early 15th century (most likely around 1423); it was founded by Wojciech Jastrzębiec, the archbishop of Gniezno. Over the next two hundred years, the subsequent owners of the castle (the Russocki, Gembicki, and Szczawiński families) gradually extended the castle, emphasising its military character. The first extension of the castle took place in the second half of the 15th century, the second one — in the early 16th century, and the last one — at the beginning of the 17th century. The castle was set on fire, conquered, and then abandoned by Swedish forces during the Swedish Deluge in 1656. All that remained of the castle in the 18th century were ruins.

Description

The castle is located by the Rgilówka River, 10 kilometres east of Koło; it is surrounded by marshlands which enhance its defensive values. The only parts of the castle which have survived to this day are the ruins of a residential building, a gatehouse with a foregate, and sections of perimeter walls. Initially, the castle was a brick structure built using the Gothic brickwork pattern (bond) and having a floor plan in the shape of a quadrangle slightly elongated on the north-west / south-east axis; three-storeyed residential buildings adjoined the shorter sides of the quadrangle and curtain walls ran along the longer sides. In the southern part of the castle, there was a polygonal turret and a gatehouse leading to the inner courtyard. During the second half of the 15th century, the structure was enclosed with a lower, embattled wall, also made of brick in Gothic bonding, running at a distance of 7 m away from the buildings. The wall was communicated with the original structure by means of a gorge and an embattled foregate. During the early 17th century, a three-storey tower was erected over the old foregate and a new, buttressed foregate was constructed in front of the tower. During the same period, the two existing residential wings were connected with a new, separate building.

The site is open to visitors.

compiled by Tomasz Łuczak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 14-11-2014.

Bibliography

• Guerquin B., Zamki w Polsce, Warszawa 1974, s. 99-100.
• Katalog zabytków sztuki w Polsce, t. 5: Województwo wielkopolskie, z. 8: Powiat kolski, Warszawa 1968.
• Olejnik K., Grody i zamki w Wielkopolsce, Poznań 1993, s. 234-236.
• Łęcki W. (red.), Wielkopolska. Słownik krajoznawczy, Poznań 2002, s. 27-28.