History

The palace was erected in the years 1617-1624 for Bishop of Płock, Henryk Firlej, the later-to-become Archbishop of Gniezno. A summer residence of subsequence bishops of Płock until 1822. The terrace on the tower was enclosed before 1693. Damaged during the Swedish war in the early 18th century, restored in 1716 by bishop Ludwik Załuski. Damaged by the fire in the late 18th century. Reconstructed in 1880. During World War I and II it suffered damages, devastated, demolished to acquire bricks. In years 1955-1957 the tower was secured. The entire ruin underwent protective works in 1966.

Description

From the initial Renaissance-Baroque, masoned, rectangular, two-storey building with a square chapel with a semi-circular apse from the east and a belvedere tower in the corner between the chapel and the southern wing, only three walls of the tower located at the foot of an escarpment at the Bug river have survived. The building is made of brick, with plasterwork on the walls and stone surrounds of window openings. Set on a square plan, four-storey building crowned with a pronounced, profiled cornice. Over the cornice, on corners, there are remains of small pillars from the initial viewing terrace, the so-called Belvedere. The east façade contains four irregularly arranged, partially walled-up window openings in profiled surrounds, with segments of cornices in lintels. The entrance opening terminating in a segmental arch on the ground floor. Inside, there are traces of a winder staircase and two groin vaults.

The monument is available to visitors.

Compiled by Katarzyna Kosior, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Warsaw, 31-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Katalog Zabytków Sztuki w Polsce, Tom X Województwo Warszawskie, zeszyt 12 powiat ostrowsko - mazowiecki, Instytut Sztuki PAN, Warszawa 1974 r
• Karta ewidencyjna zabytku architektury i budownictwa tzw Karta Biała, A. Rutkowski, marzec 1984 r.
•  J. Żabicki, Leksykon zabytków architektury Mazowsza i Podlasia, Arkady, Warszawa 2010 r.