The castle in Łańcut, erected between 1629 and 1642, remained in the hands of the Lubomirski family and then of their heirs, the Potocki family, for more than three centuries. During that time, it served not only as a family home, but also a place where public and cultural life thrived. Over the centuries it hosted numerous guests, including crowned heads.

The original architectural concept, which was of strategic importance for the whole of south--eastern Poland, represented the palazzo in fortezza type. It consisted of a four-winged, two--storey palace with four towers in the corners, inscribed in a regular pentagon of old Dutch-type bastion fortifications. At the turn of the 19th century, the former fortress was transformed into a comfortable, luxuriously furnished residence surrounded by a park. The reconstruction was initiated by the last of the family, Izabela Lubomirska née Czartoryska, after whose death the Duchess’s grandson, Count Alfred Potocki, inherited the castle. The entail established by him in 1830 meant that the entire estate together with the castle survived, as a coherent whole, until the Second World War. The luxurious estate, open to the public, was maintained thanks to its modern agro-industrial character. At the turn of the 20th century, under the rule of the Third Entailer, Count Roman Potocki, the building once again underwent reconstruction which gave it its present shape and appearance.

The position and importance of the owners of the castle is evidenced today by its art collections and the large book collection. The interiors of the castle are distinguished by the richness of style and architectural craftsmanship of the individual suites, halls and rooms, abounding in original decorations – baroque, rococo, classicist and later, whose designers were prominent Polish and foreign architects and decorators. The individual rooms are furnished and decorated with sets of furniture, paintings and other works of art and objects of daily use appropriate to their function.

The castle is surrounded by a vast park with historic buildings such as the Stables and Coach House, the Romantic Castle, the Orangery, the Dressage House, the Horticultural House and the revitalised Orchid House. There are also plenty of sports facilities and small architecture, as well as beautiful gardens, including the Italian and Rose Garden.

In 1944, Łańcut Castle and its historic surroundings were converted into a museum.

Joanna Kluz

The reverse of the coin features an image of Łańcut Castle as seen from the west.

Coins linked with an article