Sielecki Castle, Sosnowiec, Poland

Sielecki Castle is located on the left bank of the Czarna Przemsza River. Originally a defensive fortification, the castle expanded in 1620 into a four-wing complex with corner towers, perhaps using earlier buildings. The castle was built of broken limestone and brick. Storey building with basement. After the fire in 1824, the castle was rebuilt in 1832, but the east wing with the entrance gate was demolished and the moats were filled. Despite these changes, the original defensive character is evidenced by the shape of the block, four corner towers and projections on the extension of the side wings. It is currently a three-winged building with an open courtyard.

In 1994 the city of Sosnowiec took over the destroyed castle. Currently, the castle houses the Sosnowiec Art Center. This local government institution co-creates the cultural life of the city by organizing exhibitions, concerts and various culture-forming meetings.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Poland

User Reviews

Beata ZD (10 months ago)
A very interesting place, I especially recommend atmospheric concerts in the Castle or its courtyard. The only thing missing is a restaurant or cafe somewhere around the castle to sit down and enjoy the moment

Marcin Golab (10 months ago)
Woj see, participate in the museum night

Anna Matlak (11 months ago)
The entrance fee is PLN 1. It is too much. The exhibitions are boring. One is about the relationship between philosophy and nature, one is about archeology (this one could be interesting, but there's nothing there). Architecture does not impress. I only spent a few minutes there. The castle is located next to a housing estate. Propaganda near the castle, as it is wonderful to live in Sosnowiec.

Татьяна Таблер (12 months ago)
Sosnowiec - a young city, was vested with city rights only in the 1902 century. However, on its territory there are ancient monuments even from the Middle Ages. The oldest object in the city is without a doubt a castle in the central part of Sosnowiec, in Selce. Part of the walls of the castle, according to archaeologists, can occur from the XV century. In the form in which we see the castle now - a structure in the shape of a horseshoe, with three low towers. Sosnowiec Center of Arts - Seletsky Castle found his home here.

Piotr Załuski (6 years ago)
Worth to see.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Varvara_R

Historic Site of the week

Trinity Sergius Lavra

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a world famous spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church and a popular site of pilgrimage and tourism. It is the most important working Russian monastery and a residence of the Patriarch. This religious and military complex represents an epitome of the growth of Russian architecture and contains some of that architecture’s finest expressions. It exerted a profound influence on architecture in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe.

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, was founded in 1337 by the monk Sergius of Radonezh. Sergius achieved great prestige as the spiritual adviser of Dmitri Donskoi, Great Prince of Moscow, who received his blessing to the battle of Kulikov of 1380. The monastery started as a little wooden church on Makovets Hill, and then developed and grew stronger through the ages.

Over the centuries a unique ensemble of more than 50 buildings and constructions of different dates were established. The whole complex was erected according to the architectural concept of the main church, the Trinity Cathedral (1422), where the relics of St. Sergius may be seen.

In 1476 Pskovian masters built a brick belfry east of the cathedral dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The church combines unique features of early Muscovite and Pskovian architecture. A remarkable feature of this church is a bell tower under its dome without internal interconnection between the belfry and the cathedral itself.

The Cathedral of the Assumption, echoing the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin, was erected between 1559 and 1585. The frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral were painted in 1684. At the north-western corner of the Cathedral, on the site of the western porch, in 1780 a vault containing burials of Tsar Boris Godunov and his family was built.

In the 16th century the monastery was surrounded by 6 meters high and 3,5 meters thick defensive walls, which proved their worth during the 16-month siege by Polish-Lithuanian invaders during the Time of Trouble. They were later strengthened and expanded.

After the Upheaval of the 17th century a large-scale building programme was launched. At this time new buildings were erected in the north-western part of the monastery, including infirmaries topped with a tented church dedicated to Saints Zosima and Sawatiy of Solovki (1635-1637). Few such churches are still preserved, so this tented church with a unique tiled roof is an important contribution to the Lavra.

In the late 17th century a number of new buildings in Naryshkin (Moscow) Baroque style were added to the monastery.

Following a devastating fire in 1746, when most of the wooden buildings and structures were destroyed, a major reconstruction campaign was launched, during which the appearance of many of the buildings was changed to a more monumental style. At this time one of the tallest Russian belfries (88 meters high) was built.

In the late 18th century, when many church lands were secularized, the chaotic planning of the settlements and suburbs around the monastery was replaced by a regular layout of the streets and quarters. The town of Sergiev Posad was surrounded by traditional ramparts and walls. In the vicinity of the monastery a number of buildings belonging to it were erected: a stable yard, hotels, a hospice, a poorhouse, as well as guest and merchant houses. Major highways leading to the monastery were straightened and marked by establishing entry squares, the overall urban development being oriented towards the centrepiece - the Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra.

In 1993, the Trinity Lavra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Sielecki Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

History of Guernsey & Jersey

Most beautiful castles in Lithuania

Cultural Landscape of Sintra, Portugal

Historic Site of the week

Trinity Sergius Lavra

Looks like you are a history fan!