Terra Sandomiriensis

The Baranów Sandomerski Castle is a Mannerist castle located in the town of Baranów Sandomierski in the Subcarpathian Voivodship, south-eastern Poland. It is one of the most important Mannerist structures in the country.

The castle is commonly known as the "little Wawel". According to Polish law, it is a "class zero monument".

Prince Józef Karol Lubomirski wedded its owner, Princess Teofila Ludwika Zasławska in 1683, and rebuilt her principal residence by way of commissioning the royal Dutch-Polish architect Tylman van Gameren from the court of Jan III Sobieski, who converted the castle, added the western wing gallery and embellished the interiors with profuse late-baroque stucco decorations.

Originally, a residency of the Lubomirski family, it now serves as a historical museum.

Arcade courtyard of the castle.

The castle was built around the years 1591–1606 in the style of Poland's Mannerism with richly decorated attics, side towers and arcade courtyard for Andrzej and Rafał Leszczyński (1526–1592) of the Wieniawa coat of arms. It is believed to be the work of a famous Italian architect, Santi Gucci, the court artist of king Stephen Báthory.

Arcade courtyard of the castle and mascarons on the columns.

One of the vaults in the castle chambers with coat-at-arms murals.

In about 1620 the castle was surrounded by bastion fortifications and in 1625 its chambers were adorned with early Baroque decorations executed by the eminent stuccodecorator Giovanni Battista Falconi.

Castle in Baranów Sandomierski passed successively into the possession of families: Wiśniowiecki, Sanguszko, Lubomirski, Małachowski, Potocki and Krasicki. In 1867 it was acquired by Feliks Dolański.

Ruins of the castle in Iłża. The history of the town Iłża dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was a Western Slavic gord. Since the 12th century, until 1789, Iłża belonged to the Bishops of Cracow. The settlement was twice destroyed by the Mongols (1241, 1260 Mongol invasion of Poland). In 1340, a stone castle was built here by Bishop Jan Grot, which was expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries. Now-a-days there are only stone ruins and the tower.