History

The palace of the Męciński family has not been a subject of detailed studies so far. Two dates of its construction can be found in the literature: approx. 1600 and the 2nd half of the 17th century. There are mentions that the palace was built to replace an older building whose relics were allegedly used for construction. This has not been confirmed so far.

The second date is sometimes associated with the castellan of Wieluń, Andrzej Męciński, the founder of the palace. In the 2nd half of the 18th century, the residence underwent a full-scale transformation at the request of Stanisław Męciński. There is a local story that the palace was once visited by Stanisław August Poniatowski. In the early 19th century, the palace was owned by the Myszkowski family, and then by the Wzdulscy family. Its subsequent owners and tenants did not care sufficiently for its condition, and during the 1st and 2nd World War, its walls and roofs were damaged.

For many years, the building was abandoned.

In the 1950s., it was reconstructed and renovated to house a school, and then a correctional facility. In 2006, a full-scale renovation was conducted, after which District Cultural Centre was established in the palace.

Description

The site is located in the western part of Działoszyn, on a hill, near the channel of the river Warta. It is built on a rectangular floor plan, with avant-corps advanced in relation to the wall face from the south. The palace is a two-storey building with a basement. It is made of brick and stone. The whole building is covered with a gable roof, and the avant-corps is topped with a separate small gable roof set transversely to the roof.

Walls of the façades are covered with decorative plasterwork forming flat rectangular elements - and only the avant-corps of the front façade is covered with plain plasterwork, with corners accentuated by rustication. The eastern and western façades are topped with decorative gables. In the central section of the northern façade, there is a balcony.

The site is open throughout the year and it can be visited in working hours of the District Cultural Centre.

compiled by Anna Michalska, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Łódź, 29.08.2014.

Bibliography

• Solle P., Nad Wartę do Działoszyna [w:]Wędrownik, IV, 2008
• Szczerkowska T., Działoszyn i okolice, Działoszyn 2006