Bolków Castle
Bolków Castle is a castle located in Bolków on the Castle Hill (Polish: Wzgórze Zamkowe), with a 396 metres, where the hillside is cut by the Nysa Szalona river, with a sharp precipice (with a sudden drop of 90 metres); the eastern side of the hill gradually lowers, taken up by the town. The castle is an upland stronghold, covering an area of 7600 m². The castle is located in Bolków (30 km to the north-west of Wałbrzych), Lower Silesian Voivodeship; in Poland.[1]
| Bolków Castle | |
|---|---|
 Bolków Castle | |
| Location | Bolków, Lower Silesian Voivodeship; in Poland |
| Coordinates | 50°55′18″N 16°05′52″E |
| Area | 7600 m² |
| Built | 1277-1293 |
| Rebuilt | 1301-1368 1539-1540 1715, 1922 |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic |
  Location of the Bolków Castle in Poland  Bolków Castle (Lower Silesian Voivodeship) | |
History
First mentions of the castle come from 1277, from the time of the reign of Bolesław II Rogatka, Duke of Legnica. The castle's current shape was only done so by various constructions in the sixteenth century, the famous Silesian architect Jakub Parr brought elements of the Renaissance into the castle's fortifications. After the construction and expansion, the castle had a total area of 7600 m², making it one of the largest castles in Silesia. In 1703, the castle in Bolków was bought by Cistercian monks from Krzeszów. After the laicisation of monastic property, the castle went to the State Treasury of Poland.[2][3]
The monumental Piast dynasty castle in Bolków is one of the largest fortresses of the Świdnica-Jawor Duchy. This stronghold, erected in the 13th century, defended nearby trade routes. Its monumental walls are still very impressive, stirring the imagination. This fortress is testimony to the dramatic history of this part of Central Europe.[4]
See also
References
- "Museum Main Page". Zamek Bolków. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- "Historia". Zamki Polskie. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- "Historia". Zamki. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- Marek Żukow-Karczewski, Zamek w Bolkowie - warownia Piastów świdnicko-jaworowskich / Bolków castle: A fortress of the Piast dynasty from Świdnica-Jawor, "Aura" 12, 1996, p. 23-24.