Description of the attraction
Lublin Castle is a former royal castle and defensive structure built in the twelfth century. The castle is located in the Polish city of Lublin.
The first defensive structure was built on this site on top of a hill in the twelfth century during the reign of Casimir the Just. In the second half of the thirteenth or early fourteenth century, the first brick tower was added. During the reign of Casimir the Great, the castle was surrounded by a fortress wall with a gate facing west. The castle was located on the Royal Road on the way from Krakow to Vilnius, the sons of Casimir grew up within its walls.
Around 1520 Sigismund began the reconstruction of the castle in the majestic Renaissance style. For construction work, Italian craftsmen were brought from Krakow, who created a real masterpiece. In 1569, an act of ratification of the Union of Lublin was signed in the castle. In subsequent years, the residence was rebuilt several times, in 1655-1657 the castle was occupied by the Swedish army, after which the building fell into disrepair. In 1671, the expansion of the castle took place, a corner tower and cellars were built, where a chapel was created. Gradually, Jews began to settle around the Lublin Castle, whose number reached almost 50 thousand people at the time of the outbreak of World War II.
In 1826, on the site of the destroyed castle, a new prison was built on the initiative of Stanislav Stashits. The building was made in the neo-gothic style and was used for the imprisonment of political criminals. The prison has been operating for 128 years.
Currently, the castle housed the Lublin Museum, in which, in addition to the prison building, you can see the defense tower-donjon, built in the 13th century, as well as the Holy Trinity Chapel with its magnificent preserved frescoes.
