Tarnowice Stare Castle: A Renaissance Castle in Poland
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Poland
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- Holy Roman Empire
- Site type
- Domestic
- Remains
- Castle
On this page11 sections
History
Medieval Knightly Residence
Tarnowice Stare Castle is a Renaissance castle in Poland, located in Stare Tarnowice, now a district of Tarnowskie Góry. Its history follows an earlier knightly residence near the parish church, where a small hill remains as the trace of a former stronghold. The site may have been associated with Adam de Tarnowice, the earliest known resident of the settlement, who appears in records from 1310 to 1351.
Tarnowice later belonged to Święcisław, who served at the court of Duke Konrad II of Oleśnica. In 1369, he acted as an appointed arbiter in a dispute concerning the division of the Duchy of Bytom. The last known knights connected with Tarnowice were Sambor, mentioned in 1411, and Mikołaj and Teodor Włodkowie of the Sulima coat of arms, recorded in 1415. The earlier stronghold was in use during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Renaissance Castle and Later Owners
A new residence was established on another site during the sixteenth century. Construction of the Renaissance castle began in 1520 and ended in 1570. The work was probably undertaken either by the Włodki knightly family or by Piotr Wrochem, who owned the estate in 1525. The castle was rebuilt several times in later periods, including during the nineteenth century.
In 1820, Gottlieb von Büttner sold the castle and its estates to Count Karol Łazarz Henckel von Donnersmarck of Świerklaniec. Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck later joined the Tarnowice properties with those at Repty and created a fideicommiss, an inherited estate arrangement designed to keep property within a chosen family line. His younger son, Kraft, inherited the estates in 1916, although he lived in a newly built palace near Repty rather than at the castle.
Decline and Restoration
After the Second World War, the castle and the Tarnowice estates were nationalized and transferred to a state agricultural farm. The complex deteriorated over the following decades. Rajner and Krystyna Smolorz acquired it in 2000 and began a comprehensive renovation of the castle and its surroundings. The work finished at the end of 2010, and the Centre of Old Art and Crafts opened there in June 2011. Tarnowice Stare Castle was entered in Poland’s heritage register as monument A/639/66 on 2 May 1966. The current owners are identified as Krystyna and Rajner Smolorz.
Remains
Courtyard and Main Wings
The castle is a Renaissance complex arranged around a courtyard. Covered galleries, or cloisters, originally bordered three sides, while the north side remained open. Later changes enclosed the cloisters, reconstructed the entrance hall, and extended the north wing, giving the complex its present arrangement.
West Wing
The west wing has a central projecting section, known as an avant-corps, that extends forward from the main wall and is crowned by a pediment, the triangular upper part of a classical facade. Friezes run from the roof into architectural forms resembling pedestals, which support vases. Three cartouches, ornamental framed panels, occupy the pediment. The largest bears the coat of arms of the Duchy of Bytom, while two smaller panels carry the noble arms of the Wrochem and Donnersmarck families.
Renaissance Portal
A Renaissance portal dated 1545 was installed in the west wing. It originally came from the palace at Płonina. A gazebo in the castle park was also transferred from that palace, linking these elements to the castle’s later architectural history.
Surrounding Buildings
Orangery and Barn
The renovated grounds include an orangery and a barn. These buildings form part of the restored castle surroundings rather than the courtyard residence itself.
Cattle Shed and Stable
The wider complex also contains a former cattle shed and a stable. The cattle shed is now used as a hotel, while the stable serves as an inn.
