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Castle ruins - Zabytek.pl

Castle ruins


fortifications 14th-15th c. Janowiczki

Address
Janowiczki

Location
woj. małopolskie, pow. miechowski, gm. Racławice

The relics of the castle are preserved underground.

The complex served as an aristocratic defensive residence. Its evolution stages are well seen: from a wooden and earthen structure to a stone castle with a keep.

Description

The castle was erected on a loess promontory cut off from the hinterland by a transverse ditch. On the south, west and north sides, an earth rampart was set up on the slopes. It ran along a dry moat, an extension of the transverse ditch. In the middle of the promontory, there was originally a wooden building, probably a keep, on a square plan 5.2 m wide. Soon after, it was replaced by a stone structure. The local marl stone was used as the building material. The plan of the castle was similar to a rectangle with the longer sides of 19.5 and 19.9 m long and the shorter ones of 13.8 and 14.5 m. The main walls were 2.2-2.3 m thick (4 ells). The interior of the building was divided into two chambers by a 1.2 m thick partition wall. The smaller chamber to the west had a basement. The entrance was in the north wall of the larger chamber. Since only the ground-level sections of the building have survived, it is difficult to establish its original height. It was probably a type of a tower-like house with two or three levels.

History

The castle was erected on the tip of a loess promontory, known as Zamczysko, located in the bend of the Ścieklec stream, in the south-east part of the village. The underground relics were exposed as a result of archaeological research carried out in the years 1978-1980 and 1983-1986. Zamczysko Hill rises above the plain which, on 4 April 1794, was the theatre of a battle between the Polish army commanded by Tadeusz Kościuszko and the Russian army commanded by General Alexander Tormasov. The battle went down in history as the Battle of Racławice.

Condition and research results

Based on the results of archaeological research, it can be inferred that the building was erected at the end of the first quarter of the 14th century, and was no longer in use in the mid-15th century. The castle served as a defensive residence of the Karwacjan family of the Zadora coat of arms. The existence of a fortified structure (castrum) is confirmed by the 1404 sources. Not even half a century later, the castle was no longer there. The cause of the collapse was most likely the poor statics of the structure and the use of inadequate building material (marl stones).

The site is accessible all year round.

Author of the note Stanisław Kołodziejski, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Kraków 24/10/2014

Bibliography

  • Kołodziejski S., Średniowieczny zamek w Janowiczkach, gm. Racławice -Pałecznica. Wytyczne do projektu konserwacji i ekspozycji reliktów budowli w ramach zagospodarowania pola bitwy pod Racławicami, “Peregrinus”, no. 1, 1990. pp. 91-107.
  • Kołodziejski S., Paw na janowickim zamku, “Teki Krakowskie”, vol. 1, 1994, pp. 63-72.
  • Kajzer L., Kołodziejski S., Salm J., Leksykon zamków w Polsce, Warszawa 2001, p. 208.

Category: fortifications

Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records

Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_A_12_AR.41791, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_12_AR.916834