History

Restored ruins of the fortified building sit on a sloppy promontory of a hill, surrounded by a bend of the river Korzkiewka.

Remains of the castle were examined during archaeological and architectural research carried out in the years 1968-1970, and in 1990s. The founder of the defensive residence was, in the third quarter of the 14th century, Jan of Syrokomla (subiudex in 1346-1356 and Cracow judge 1358-1361) who, after the fall lof the castle in Biały Kościół (Wielka Wieś), both the mountain Korzkiew in 1352. His descendants signed documents as Korzkiew already in 1385. The existence of the castle is also confirmed by subsequent documents, referring, in 1388, a burgrabia (“burgrave”), in 1400 a "sub castrum", and in 1447, a "castrum". The subsequent owners of the castle were Szczepan Świętopełk from Irządze and burgher from Cracow Piotr Krupka. Since 16th century, Korzkiew had been owned, in a sequence, by the Zborowski, Ługowski, Jordan, and Wessel family. In the 19th century, the castle fell into disrepair. In 1997, the ruined building was bought by Jerzy Donimirski, who initiated conservation and restoration works.

Description

The results of the archaeological and architectural research made it possible to identify the oldest castle complex, dated to the second half of the 14th century, and subsequent extension stages. The original fortified residence was comprised of a defensive and residential tower erected in the centre of the promontory, separated from the auxiliary upland facilities by a dry moat. It was a free-standing, two-storey building with basements, of single-space type, made of bricks and erected on a rectangular floor plan, with dimensions 9.5 x 12 m. The thickness of the main walls was up to 2.5 m. Some time later, the tower area was circumscribed by stepped peripheral walls, separating a courtyard from the south. The entrance to the castle led probably through a gate opening located in the southern section of the peripheral walls. In the second stage, dated to the 15th century, two rectangular fortified towers were added to the external face of the southern section of the peripheral walls. In the end of the 15th century, or at the turn of the 15th and the 16th century, the area of the castle was slightly extended by a staircase and a utility annex built in the north-eastern section. A full-scale modernisation was carried out in the four quarter of the 16th century, by adapting the existing rooms for the new residential needs. The northern and western walls were demolished and built anew from brick, and in the north-eastern wing, a four-flight staircase was constructed. The ground floor room in the tower and the basement of the north-eastern wing were covered by a barrel vault. In front of the entrance to the building, a two-storey loggia was erected, and in the rear part, between two castle wings, sanitary and utility facilities were built. The construction of the two-storey gate house should be also associated with this period. Further transformations have not changed the spatial layout of the castle and its silhouette any further. Owing to the renovation works carried out in the end of the 20th century, the castle was transformed into a small hotel with spacious conference and banquet rooms.

The structure is accessible all year round.

compiled by Stanisław Kołodziejski, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Krakow, 24.10.2014.

Bibliography

• Kołodziejski S., Średniowieczne rezydencje obronne możnowładztwa na terenie województwa krakowskiego, Kraków, 1994, s. 145-147.
• Niewalda W., Średniowieczny zamek w Korzkwi w świetle ostatnich badań architektoniczno-historycznych, „Teki Krakowskie”, t. II, 1995, s. 101-112.
• Niewalda W., Problemy badawcze i adaptacyjne zamku w Korzkwi, „Teki Krakowskie”, t. VII, 1998, s. 51-58.
• Sczaniecki P., Zamek w Korzkwi i jego właściciele (dziesięć opowieści), Kraków 1998.
• Kajzer L., Kołodziejski S., Salm J., Leksykon zamków w Polsce, Warszawa 2001, s. 229-230.
• Szlezynger P., Zamek w Korzkwi. Badania historyczne i ikonograficzne, projekt, etapy budowy, „Ochrona Zabytków”, nr 3/4, 2003, s. 5-23.
• Szlezynger P., Zamek w Korzkwi i jego otoczenie, Kraków 2005.