History of the structure

The earliest mention about Iłowa, dating back to 1356, concerns the granting of the village as a fief to brothers Wittig and Kunze von Kottwitz. The property belonged to the von Kottwitz family until the mid- 16th century. The seat of the noble family established by them was destroyed in 1440. In its place, in 1626 Baron Christoph von Schellendorf erected a Late Renaissance residence. It was a three-storey building set on a rectangular floor plan, with a tower on the north side. In the early 18th century Balthasar von Promnitz extended the building by a north-western wing. The new, Baroque component part of the palace featured two storeys covered with a gable roof. The façades were adorned with pilasters with Corinthian capitals and the interiors with stucco decorations. The last remodelling, beginning in 1860, was completed by Friedrich Maximilian von Hochberg in the years 1902-1905. At that time, the Baroque wing was extended lengthwise and upwards by a storey incorporated in a new, mansard roof, plus a tower with a ground floor was added in front of the entrance. The façades obtained a Baroque Revival form. Modifications were introduced inside the palace: a new staircase, fireplaces, wood panelling and stuccoworks were installed. The interior was designed by Prof. Philippi, while the stuccowork was crafted by C. Giovanetti. Friedrich Maximilian von Hochberg lived in Iłowa until 1911. Between 1914 and 1918 Hans Heinrich von Pless was an owner of the estate, while in the years 1929-1945 it belonged to Paul Jentzig. After World War II the palace was adapted to serve as a seat of a secondary school. It has continued to serve this purpose ever since.

Site description

The palace is an element of the residential complex situated in the central part of Iłowa, at the main road leading to Żagań. The structure is located on an island surrounded by branches of the Mała Czarna river. On the south, west and north side there is a landscape park, while on the east side - a former manor farm. The access road runs along the passage crossing the area of manor farm buildings located in the main street of the town.

The palace, designed on a rectangular floor plan, has three storeys, features buttresses on the east and south sides and is covered with a hip roof. At the front façade, there is a central tower projection on a rectangular floor plan, which features four storeys and a bulbous cupola with a lantern. On the east side there is a single-storey annex with a terrace. The newer, west wing, extended on the north-south axis, has two storeys, a usable attic under a mansard roof and a low tower at the north end and is crowned with a tented roof with two cupolas. Baroque Revival façades (1903-1905) feature a rusticated plinth and pilasters in the giant order. The main entrance on the ground floor of the tower is framed with a stone, Mannerist portal (1626) with cartouches presenting a coat of arms and a foundation plaque. The tower projection is covered with a groin vault. The hall is covered with a barrel vault with lunettes and features representational stairs with a gold-plated and polychromed balustrade. It is adorned with stucco and wood panelling decorations made of Japanese lacquerware. The former office is covered with a flat cupola with lunettes. There are polychromed and gold-plated portals at the entrances to the ballroom and the musical room. Decorative fireplaces, wood panelling and stuccos have survived, similarly as original, sumptuously carved wardrobes in the library. The wing includes a ceiling with dormers and Baroque Revival stuccos.

Visitor access. Heritage site accessible to the general public.

Author of the note: compiled by Anna Jackiewicz, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 06-11-2017

Bibliography

• Bielinis-Kopeć B. (ed.), Zamki, dwory i pałace województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2008, pp. 128-131.
• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. 2, Zielona Góra 2012, pp. 177-178.
• Kowalski S., Zabytki architektury województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2010, p. 130.
• Zabytki sztuki w Polsce. Śląsk, Warsaw 2006, p. 329.