Gołuchów

GOŁUCHÓW CASTLE is set in Gołuchów in the Southern Great Poland, Poland. It was built between 1550-1560 for Rafal Leszczynski who was a prefect and a voivode then. Over the years, the castle had many possessors.

The castle seen from the East side

THE HISTORY OF THE CASTLE 

After the restoration in the 19th century, the building seemingly looks as if it was built in the French Renaissance style. Under the courtyard there are the oldest fragments of the castle – basements from the second half of the 16th century. The basements, foundations, and two towers seen from the courtyard are the only parts of the castle gone up in 1560. The second phase of building is connected with Rafal’s son, Waclaw, who inherited the castle in 1592 and changed it into a baronial mansion. 
In 1853, Tytus Dzialynski bought the property for his son, Jan. In 1857, the latter married Izabella Czartryska, Adam Jerzy Czartoryski’s daughter (he was the leader of Hotel Lambert emigration party). Wanting to remodel the building, Izabella invited French artists, including: an architect Maurycy August Ouradou, a sculptor Karol Biberon, and a painter Ludwik Breugnot. They were inspired by royal castles set by the Loire. That is why Gołuchów Castle is characterized by high roofs covered with slate, slender chimneys, and sculptural interior designs typical for French Renaissance. 
Izabella Dzialynska wanted not only to form a mansion from the castle, but also to establish a museum there. In 1893, she established the Estate of Gołuchów Dukes. It was guaranteed there that her collection is undivided and available for everyone to see.She died in 1899 in France, but was buried in Gołuchów in a chapel converted into a tomb which is set within the park. 
The museum was open uninterruptedly till September 1939. The World War II was devastating for the museum. The Nazi stole and took many exhibits out of the country, also many of the museum pieces vanished or were destroyed. All of the exhibits which remained undamaged came back to Poland in 1956 from the Former Soviet Union. 
In 1951, the castle was assumed by the National Museum in Poznań which carried two thorough restorations in order to repair damages done in 1939-1951. The new host of the castle equipped indoors with new exhibits, such as: beautiful tapestries, European Renaissance paintings, unique pieces of furniture, and collections of arts and crafts. As the time went on, Izabella Dzialynska’s relics come back to Gołuchów.

The castle before the restoration

ASSEMBLAGES 

• The Room of Antique Vases – before the World War II the collections counted 259 vases from the 7th to the 3rd century BC. From several years one can see in Gołuchów 56 pieces of that collection. 
• The Ancient Times Room – since 1939 the room has been full of ancient art, including mainly Egyptian arts craft of small form, and bronzes, terracotta figures and glass plates. 
• Gothic Rooms – the rooms with gothic works of art and antiquities which embody related artistic trend. 
• The Library – there are: a fireplace which partly consist of the 16th century’s Italian elements, a Florentine relief from the 15th century which presents Madonna and Child, grids which close hidden librarian cupboards made in the 19th century by Gołuchów blacksmith Karol Borowski, who was inspired by Renaissance patterns. In the cupboards there is a valuable collection of manuscripts and old prints from the 16th and 17th century. 
• The Royal Room – in the 19th century is was a royal bedroom decorated with a lot of magnificent tapestries. Today, the room is much humbler. Now, there remained the ceiling with portraits and sculptures of Polish kings made by Charles Bouvet and Gołuchów carpenters.
 

 

 Photo: Marcin Okrój

http://wlkp24.info/aktualnosci/3362,goluchow-z-lotu-ptaka.html

 

 

SURROUNDING 

The castle is surrounded by a park in English style which has been very fashionable in Europe since the end of the 18th century. The landscape seems to be natural and pristine, but it was created by humans. The park was supposed to look really naturally, with appropriately picked trees and shrubs, vast glades, and observation areas. 
The territory of the park and the castle is a part of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which was established in the middle of the 19th century by Jan Dzialynski. Now it is managed by Sylvan Plantation Center which also manages the Annex (the Silviculture Museum), the Mausoleum, the Coachhouse and the Sheepfold where there is a modern natural-ecological exhibition.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

TICKETS: 

• adults: 10 zlotys 
• half-fare ticket: 7 zlotys
• pupils and students from 7 to 26 years old: 1 zloty 
• on Tuesdays one can visit the museum for free 
• groups of up to 30 sightseers: 
•    > in Polish: 60 zlotys for a guide + the cost of a ticket per one person
•    >in English: 85 zlotys for a guide + the cost of a ticket per one person

Written by: AZ 2LUS
Photographs: 
http://www.mnp.art.pl/muzeum/oddzialy/muzeum-zamek-w-goluchowie/