Rogalin is primarily famous for its 18th-century baroque palace of the Raczyński family, and the adjacent Raczyński Art Gallery, housing a permanent exhibition of Polish and international paintings (including Paul Delaroche and Claude Monet and the famous Jan Matejko's large-scale painting Joanna d'Arc). The gallery was founded by Edward Aleksander Raczyński. Rogalin is also known for its putatively 1000-year-old oak trees on the flood plains of the Warta and the historical St. Marcellinus Church, whose design was inspired by the Roman temple Maison Carrée in Nîmes, France.
The last owner of the estate was Count Edward Bernard Raczyński, who in 1979–1986 was President of the Polish Republic in exile. His sarcophagus is deposited in the Raczyński Mausoleum, under the church in Rogalin. In his testament, Count Raczyński bequeathed his estate in Rogalin (including the family palace, gallery, library, and church) to the Polish people.
References:The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends. One of them narrates the origin of the name of castle derived from that of jester Becko for whom the Duke Stibor had the castle built.
Another legend has it that the lord of the castle had his servant thrown down from the rock because he protected his child from the lords favourite dog. Before his death, the servant pronounced a curse saying that they would meet in a year and days time, and indeed precisely after that time the lord was bitten by a snake and fell down to the same abyss.
The well-conserved ruins of the castle, now the National Cultural Monument, are frequently visited by tourists, above all in July when the castle festival takes place. The former Ambro curia situated below the castle now shelters the exhibition of the local history.