The feature’s uniqueness is proved by its authenticity, high artistic level of architectural achievements, quality and scale of composition, association with outstanding figures from the Polish history, and landscape features. Wiśnicz belongs to the few places with preserved spatial arrangement formed in the 17th century.

A multi-sectional composition of the Wiśnicz complex, created and founded by Stanisław Lubomirski - a voivode and starost of Cracow - reflects the political and economic significance of the Polish aristocracy in early modern Poland. The panache, artistic quality and accurate inscription of the complex into the surrounding landscape acted as the best witness to Lubomirski’s power and role in the country’s life. This thoroughly thought over complex consists of three main components connected by function, composition and ideology: a castle, a monastery, and a town. They were created or extended at Lubomirski’s and his successors’ initiative. The castle is an example of the reception of the model defensive residence of the palazzo di fortezza type. Similarly as the monastery, it counts as one of the most valuable monuments of the early modern defensive architecture in Poland.

History

The cultural landscape of the Wiśnicz Foothills is tightly knit to the castle overlooking a branch of the trade route from Cracow to Spisz and Hungary. A settlement called Wiśnicz was mentioned already in 1242. At first, it belonged to the Gryfit dynasty and later - from around mid-14th century - to the Kmita family. The existence of the castle was first mentioned in the source literature in the years 1396-1397. In the late 16th century the Wiśnicz property was bought by Sebastian Lubomirski (ca. 1546-1613), while his son - Stanisław (1583-1649) - created the grand-scale world reflecting the idea of universal values of then (the Sarmatian triad: god - master - serfs). Lubomirski transformed the former Gothic and Renaissance castle of the Kmita family into a Baroque residence, founded a Carmelite monastery on a neighbouring hill, and ordered to delimitate and build a town below.

The Wiśnicz castle has Gothic origins. The existence of the castrum overlooking the Leksandrówka river valley was first mentioned in the source literature in the years 1396–1397. The benefactor of the castle was most probably Jan Kmita Sr, while the reign of the last of the bloodline - Piotr V Kmita (1477-1553), an outstanding figure, one of the signatories of the Cracow Treaty known as the Prussian Homage - marked the building’s period of glory. After 1516, he conducted a major redevelopment of the family’s seat in the spirit of the Renaissance. After his death, the Wiśnicz castle was bought by Sebastian Lubomirski (ca. 1546–1613). His son, Stanisław, was born in 1593 and was held at his baptism by king Stephen Báthory. In 1604, at the age of 21, he began his political career. In the years marred by difficulties to the Republic, he stood firmly beside Sigismund III Vasa. He fought at Kircholm. The battle of Chocim in 1621 marked an important point of his biography, as after Karol Chodkiewicz’s death he overtook the command. Lubomirski also stood at the helm of negotiations with Turkey, which ended up in peace. He returned triumphantly from Podole and received numerous titles and positions: Marshal of the Crown Tribunal, Voivode of Ruthenia, Voivode of Cracow, General Starost of Cracow. His economic power rose proportionally, therefore he could start thinking freely about modernising Wiśnicz (in the years 1615-1621 he carried out a major redevelopment and fortification of the castle).

The castle survived the war with Sweden owing to the Lubomirski family’s mediations, however the town and monastery were plundered. In the centuries that followed, the Wiśnicz property remained within the hands of the wealthiest Polish families (Lubomirski, Sanguszko, Potocki, Zamoyski). In 1899 the castle became property of the Mortgage Bank in Lvov, but in 1901 it was repurchased by the Lubomirski family, who established the Lubomirski Family Association to save their historical seat. After World War II the castle fell into the hands of the State Treasury and has been a place of restoration works for decades now.

The monastery was Lubomirski’s votive offering for the victory in the battle of Chocim in 1621, while the monastery church of St Joseph and the Marriage of the Virgin Mary was erected with an intention to serve as the family mausoleum. Andrea Spezza, a court constructor of the Lubomirski family, could have been the complex’s designer. In 1783 the monastery was closed down pursuant to the order of the governor of Galicia. The occupant took the treasury away, while the land property was taken over for the purpose of the so-called religious fund. In 1788 the authorities transformed the majority of the abandoned complex into a prison. In the years 1942-1944 the Germans partially demolished the former monastic church, thus depriving the environment of the dominant architectural feature. The entire complex is surrounded by fortifications in the shape of an octagonal star, known from the coat of arms of the association. Although devoid of the picturesque silhouette of the church and now serving as a prison, the monastery still dominates over the vast landscape.

The complex of the Lubomirski family represents a culmination of the clear urbanisation cycle that took place in the Republic of Poland (from the mid-17th century to the early 19th century no large-scale town charters were issued). The town, established pursuant to the Magdeburg Law, upon the privilege granted by Sigismund III in 1616, occupied the land to the south-east of the castle, sloping towards the river in terraces. Maciej Trapola, a court architect of the Lubomirski family, was responsible for delimiting streets, the market square and townspeople’s plots. Wiśnicz has not returned to its previous glory after being plundered by the Swedish troops. Ever since, the town has gradually lost its significance. Nowy Wiśnicz, initially a conglomerate of merchants, craftsmen and artists speaking different languages, a supralocal centre of trade conducted under the protection of the castle, transformed into one of the most interesting shtetls of the Lesser Poland over time. The opening of the railway line in 1855 strengthened the position of nearby Bochnia and lowered the status of Nowy Wiśnicz. The trading route became irrelevant and what is more, the town suffered from three cholera epidemics, while the tragic fire of 3 July 1863 destroyed the old buildings. Roofs of the synagogue, town hall, parish church, as well as nearly 400 wooden houses and the manor farm at Podzamcze were consumed by the fire. The town was rebuilt rather quickly after the fire, although some inhabitants left for Bochnia.

Description

The castle is an example of the reception of the model defensive residence of the palazzo di fortezza type. The castle buildings represent a result of several developmental phases. It was built on a quadrilateral plan with an internal courtyard and four towers at the corners. From the north-east, there is a chapel of the Lubomirski family with a crypt, while from the south-east there is the so-called “Kmitówka” - initially a free-standing building. The interior decorations include Baroque portals, window frames, remnants of the stucco decorations and polychrome. The castle is surrounded by pentagonal fortifications with bastions at the corners and a gatehouse from the early 17th century. Until the early 19th century it was inhabited, while from the end of that century it was renovated, albeit slowly and half-heartedly. Stuccowork of Giovanni Battista Falconi have survived in the chapel and the north-western tower.

Some parts of southern gardens on the uppermost hill in Wiśnicz were handed over for the construction of the monastery of the Discalced Carmelite order. The monastery was concentrated around three courtyards. It was surrounded by fortifications of the tenaille and bastion type, in the new Italian style. The whole building has a shape of an eight-armed star (partially blurred as a result of later reconstructions). The fortifications, erected before 1640, consisted of four pentagonal and four triangular bastions. It is presumed that their construction was supervised by Krzysztof Mieroszewski. When necessary, the monastery could support the castle with cannon fire and protect the town located in the valley.

Despite changes in the substance, the preserved urban layout and scale give an idea of the character of the old Polish chartered town. Although in the 19th century Wiśnicz fell victim of a massive fire, but it has retained lots of its monuments and a clear urban layout from the time of charter, with a quadrilateral market square and streets running from the corners. Interesting forms of wooden houses with arcades were lost, but had been perpetuated on Jan Matejko’s paintings. The market square features a town hall erected around 1620 by Maciej Trapola and redeveloped in the 19th century: it is a brick, two-storey building with early Baroque portals and window frames. In the market square, frontage buildings from the 17th and 18th century have survived. Between the market square and the valley of the Leksandrówka river, a parish church of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary from 1618-1621, oriented towards the east, is located. The church is one of the most interesting examples of the absorption of Italian models in Poland. A historic clergy house, founded by the Lubomirski family, erected in the years 1616-1621, is a brick, two-storey structure with a basement, erected on a rectangular floor plan. A single-aisle layout of vaulted rooms, with a large porch along the axis, is reminiscent of the layout of an aristocratic manor house. The south façade with a shallow avant-corps features a two-storey, three-bay open loggia. What has also survived is a hospital founded by Stanisław Lubomirski in 1641.