GPM 0999 OJCÓW - ZAMEK WAROWNY

The castle in Ojców (Lesser Poland Voivodeship) is currently the ruins of a stronghold, which in its heyday belonged to the so-called Eagles' Nests, i.e. a network of castles guarding the borders of the Kingdom of Poland, the largest number of which was built in Małopolska. The founder of the castle was Casimir the Great, and based on archaeological sources, it can be said that its construction lasted in the years 1354-1370. In 1536, the castle became the property of the Polish queen Bona Sforza, who, however, in 1556 handed it over to Mikołaj Płaza. The later owners did not invest sufficient funds in the renovation and maintenance of the castle, which meant that at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries the building began to fall into ruin. It regained its former glory around 1620 thanks to a new owner - Mikołaj Koryciński. However, in 1802 the castle was abandoned by the then owners, and in 1829 it was partially demolished - only the tower, the gate and the lower parts of the walls survived. The castle was damaged during World War I. Small-scale renovation and conservation works took place in 1958-1963 and in 1991.