Baranow Sandomierski

The Castle in Baranow Sandomierski is a shining pearl of polish architecture – not without the reason gained a name of the Litle Wawel or the pearl of the Renaissance, as the most distingue example of the noble residence. 

The castle, one of the most beautiful manierists residence in Poland was built between 1591 – 1606 for the Leszczynski family in the place of a former medieval castle. The probable planner and builder of the palace was Santi Gucci – italian architect and sculptor associated with the royal court. The castle was built in type „palazzo in the fortress” and is a square of four wings arranged around a rectangular arcaded courtyard with four round towers at the corners and a rectangular one in the middle of the front wall. Two floors of columnar arcades supported on pedestals decorated with mascarons and bipolar representative staircase from the courtyard are among the most outstanding works of Santi Guci. On the request of Lubomirski, Tylman from Gameren builded Galeria Tylmanowska on the west side. The interiors are decorated with stucco – the work of Giovanni Battista Falconi, many polychromes and paintings. In the 19th century the owner added a new secession chapel decorated with an impressive stained-glass windows of Joseph Mehoffer and an altar with a unique picture of „Our Lady Immaculate” of Jacek Malczewski. Another great attraction, which unfortunately remains in the shadow of Renaissance palace, is the parish Church of St. John the Baptist’s Beheading. The church was built at the beginning of 17th century as a Calvinist church dedicated to St. Jacob but in 1652 became the catholic church under the current invocation.