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Castle ruins - Zabytek.pl

Castle ruins


castle 13th-18th c. Krościenko nad Dunajcem

Address
Krościenko nad Dunajcem

Location
woj. małopolskie, pow. nowotarski, gm. Krościenko nad Dunajcem

Preserved relics of an upland castle serving as an isolated asylum.

History

The remnants of Pieniny Castle, also known as the Castle of St Kinga, can be found in the middle of the Pieniny Mountains, on the top of Góra Zamkowa (799 m a.s.l.), one of the Three Crowns massif. The remains of the face wall have survived to this day, as well as the relics of adjoining buildings. The first reliable historical notice about the castle comes from the story of the life of St Kinga, penned at the beginning of the 14th century. It reads that Princess Kinga and some nuns from the convent of Poor Clares in Stary Sącz found refuge in the Pieniny stronghold during the third Tatar invasion of Małopolska in 1287. The chronicler Jan Długosz reports that Prince Bolesław the Chaste with his wife and Kraków dignitaries stayed in the castle during the first Tatar invasion in 1241. This information, however, raises serious doubts among historians. Długosz also confirms that Kinga fled to the Pieniny Mountains in 1287 again, thus emphasising the inaccessibility and extraordinary defensive properties of the mountain castle. The analysis of source data and the results of excavations leave no doubt that Pieniny Castle was erected on the initiative of Princess Kinga. The construction of the complex began most probably in the early 1280s when Kinga entered the convent of Poor Clares in Stary Sącz. The castle served as a retreat for the Poor Clares. After the Tatar invasions had ceased, the stronghold was no longer needed and probably in the 14th century stopped being used.

Description

The excavation research has not revealed much beyond the 19th-century findings of Szczęsny Morawski, as during his time, the complex was better preserved than today. The castle was built of local limestone joined with strong mortar. The face, 120 cm-thick wall was built on the higher, north slope of the mountain. It was shaped in an arc of about 90 m and connected two rock formations. The entrance to the castle, in fact a small postern, was located in the west section. There were at least two buildings touching the face wall from inside, and a square water tank built of carefully prepared dimension limestone. Most probably, the defensive perimeter embraced some wooden structures. Probably an additional, emergency exit from the castle was installed at the east end of the face wall. This way led to the bank of the Dunajec River under the covering offered by two rock crests. The relics of the castle, now within the boundaries of Pieniny National Park, were preserved as a permanent ruin in 2007 and made available to visitors.

The site is accessible all year round.

Author of the note Stanisław Kołodziejski, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Kraków 25/10/2014

Bibliography

  • Kołodziejski S., Pieniny, “Z otchłani wieków, vol. XLVI, 1980, no. 1, pp. 48-53.
  • Kołodziejski S., Zamek Pieniny w świetle badań archeologicznych, “Wierchy”, vol. 49, 1981, pp. 320-326.
  • Kajzer L., Kołodziejski S., Salm J., Leksykon zamków w Polsce, Warszawa 2001, p. 252.
  • Stępień P., Karczmarczyk S., Badania konserwatorskie Zamku Pieniny i koncepcja jego zabezpieczenia, “Pieniny – Przyroda i Człowiek”, vol. 9, 2006, pp. 219-231.

Category: castle

Architecture: nieznana

Building material:  stone

Protection: Register of monuments, Monuments records

Inspire id: PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_N_12_BK.437003, PL.1.9.ZIPOZ.NID_E_12_BK.385080