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tower - Zabytek.pl

tower


defensive architecture Kazimierz Dolny

Address
Kazimierz Dolny, Zamkowa 5

Location
woj. lubelskie, pow. puławski, gm. Kazimierz Dolny - miasto

The stone tower was probably erected between the end of the 13th century and the 1330s (during the reign of Władysław Łokietek (Ladislaus the Short)).

It forms a medieval castle complex together with the ruins of the castle of Casimir the Great - one of very few such complexes in the Lublin region.  It is one of the main landmarks of Kazimierz Dolny and its surroundings.

History

The tower (called the turret) was founded under the king’s patronage, most probably in the period between the end of the 13th century and the 1330s (during the reign of king Ladislaus the Short).  It may have been surrounded by fortifications in the form of a wood and earth rampart. The round stone tower was a watchtower. Presumably, it was built to ensure protection for the collection of customs duty on goods transported along the Vistula River and it was also a place where fires were lit at night for raftsmen sailing along the Vistula River, i.e. it served as an navigational aid. It is thought that there was a prison dungeon in the lower storey. According to historical records, the tower and the castle fell into disrepair at the end of the 18th century. In 1806, the Austrian authorities ordered the tower to be dismantled from the side of the Vistula River. In 1831, Polish soldiers took refuge in it, defending themselves against the Moscow army. Before World War I, the first conservation works were carried out in the tower. The tower was equipped with stairs and platforms, ceilings and a roof covering then. Between 1946 and 1958, the dungeon was cleaned at the request of the then heritage restorer of Kazimierz Dolny, Karol Siciński. Later, however, the tower fell into neglect and was contaminated with piles of rubbish.

In 2010-2013, a restoration and land-use management works were carried out, covering the entire castle complex. Currently, it is one of the greatest tourist attractions in the town and a vantage point, with a wonderful view of the surrounding area, and above all of the Vistula and the castle in nearby Janowiec.

Description

Built on the top of the castle hill, on the edge of a high escarpment, the tower overlooks the town from the side of the Vistula River. The tower stands on the castle hill, approximately 200 m to the north of the ruins of the castle. Situated on the edge of the Vistula escarpment, it is a dominating landmark of the town. Its characteristic feature is the material from which it was built, i.e. broken limestone (rock) and the cylindrical shape and the crenellated parapet in its top part. The tower was erected on a circular floor plan with a 10-meter diameter and a circumference of approximately 32.50 metres. The thickness of its walls decreases with the height – on the ground floor level, it reaches 4.20 m, on the level of the second floor it is approximately 4 m, on the third floor 3.70 m and on the fourth floor approximately 3 m. Due to the slope of the terrain, the height of the tower varies.  In its highest point, it reaches 19.20 metres. The circumference of the tower is approximately 32.50 metres. From the west, at a height of 6 m, there is a vaulted entrance preceded by external wooden stairs. Inside the tower, there is a single space with wooden platforms and stairs leading to the viewing terrace at the top. The lowest storey (6.7 m deep) is dark and was used as a dungeon in the past. Today, it is no longer accessible. The remaining storeys are slightly illuminated by single narrow slit windows. 

Opening hours: 

May – October: daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

•    the ticket office is open until 5:30 p.m.

•    the last entrance hour for visitors is 5:30 p.m.

November – April: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The Castle Complex is closed: November 1, December 25 and 26 (Christmas),

January 1 (New Year), January 6 (Epiphany), first day of Easter.

The Castle Complex may be closed - in the case of very bad weather conditions (heavy snow, ice, storms, downpours).

compiled by Anna Sikora-Terlecka, National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Branch Office in Lublin, 20 March 2016

Bibliography

  • Husarski W., Kazimierz Dolnym, Lublin 1953.
  • Kazimierz Dolny. Przewodnik po mieście i okolicach, Z. Nestorowicz (ed.), Lublin 2014, pp. 123-124 
  • Mitrus E., Zespół zamkowy w Kazimierzu Dolnym, badania archeologiczne w latach 2010-2013, Zamki Lubelszczyzny w źródłach archeologicznych, edited by Ewa Banasiewicz – Szykuła, Lublin 2015, pp. 71-82
  • Teodorowicz-Czerepińska J., Studium historyczno-urbanistyczne Kazimierza Dolnego, Lublin 1974, Archives of the Regional Monuments Protection Office, Branch Office in Lublin, ref. 370 vol. II, p. 248
  • Teodorowicz-Czerepińska J., Kazimierz Dolny. Monografia historyczno-urbanistyczna, Kazimierz Dolny 1981, pp. 19-20

     

Category: defensive architecture

Architecture: Renaissance

Building material:  stone

Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records

Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_N_06_BL.4671, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_06_BL.38075