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The original text is here: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pustelnia_Z%C5%82otego_Lasu

'“'The Golden Forest Hermitage” in Rytwiany – a convent established in 1624 by the voivode of Cracow, Jan Tęczyński and his brother Gabriel, the voivode of Lublin. The hermitage, situated in Rytwiany has been liquidated in 1820. Currently, it is the seat of the Diocesan Centre of Culture and Education “Źródło” and the Therapeutic Centre “SPeS” (salus per silentium).

The past

The history of the place began in 1617. Then, the foundation of the voivode of Cracow, Jan Tęczyński, was established for the sake of the Camaldolese monks who settled in the first Polish hermitage in Bielany, Cracow a couple of years before. The main founders of the hermitage in Rytwiany were Jan Magnus Tęczyński and his brother Gabriel Tęczyński. The bishop of Cracow, Marcin Szyszkowski laid the cornerstone for the construction on 1 May, 1624. The process of building the church, monastic edifices and hermit houses lasted until 1637, when Tomasz Oborski, bishop of Cracow consecrated the sanctuary under the name of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Virgin Mary. The sanctuary owes the Baroque splendour to the prior Venanto da Subiaco who is the author of most of the paintings in the church, side chapels as well as the overall iconographic design. Camaldolese monks had stayed in Rytwiany for 201 years. Due to the Tsar’s Decree from 1820, the convent was liquidated. The last monks left the Hermitage in 1825 and they were transferred to the Warsaw Hermitage in Bielany. The deserted monastery was intercepted by the founders who tried to save it by bringing the Franciscans, but again, it was liquidated. In 1935, the parish had been created on the terrain of the previous Camaldolese cloister.

Today’s Hermitage

In 2007 the renovation of the ruinous buildings was launched and the area adjacent to the Hermitage had been reconditioned. The project of the restoration was realised thanks to the resources from the European Regional Development Fund. In 2001 the Diocesan Centre of Culture and Education “Źródło” has been established and has been functioning since then. The reconstructed hermit houses and the monastic buildings are ready to be visited and the Centre offers a variety of forms of leisure and therapy for the tourists.

Tourism

The Hermitage is situated in the heart of the Rytwiany’s primeval forest. In the surroundings of the monastery there is a historic path referring to the monastic life. During the tourist season the convent and the church can be visited with a guide. Annual the outdoor events take place in the Hermitage: The Monastic Spring Picnic, the Monastic Church Fair (15 September), the Forest’s Drug Store (the last Sunday of September).

The second original text is here: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamek_w_Szyd%C5%82owie

Royal Castle in Szydłów – a royal castle situated in Szydłów, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. It is located within the fortifications of the old town of Szydłów, on the edge of a high wall of a ravine, dropping into the valley of the Ciekąca River. Although occupied only occasionally, it was used as the royal seat with an expansive courtyard and a big residential building, the so called “skarbczyk” originating from 15th and 16th centuries. It has survived together with the gatehouse and the remains of the walls separating the castle from the town. From the western side, the courtyard is confined with the peripheral walls which form a fragment of the town’s fortifications.

History

According to Janko of Czarnków, the stone castle in Szydłów had been erected and fortified by the king Casimir the Great. This fact was also mentioned by Jan Długosz. Recent discoveries of hitherto unknown parts of the walls make the castle one of the greatest strongholds of Casimir the Great. As far as the genesis of the Knight Hall is concerned, a hypothesis has emerged lately, that Jadwiga of Poland and Władysław Jagiełło initiated its building. This assumption is supported by the stylistic similarity of the Hall with the Hungarian castle in Visegrád and the fact, that Władysław Jagiełło had resided in the castle in Szydłów as many as 17 times. The Castle was reconstructed once in 15th c., and then twice in 16th c. because of the conflagrations which took place in 1528 and 1541. In 1564 the castle was mentioned as renovated. In 1630 it was burnt after the riots of mercenary troops which demanded overdue payment. Then, the castle has been destroyed by the Swedish and Transylvanian troops of Georg Rákóczi during the Swedish Deluge. In 1723, Józef Załuski, the starost, renovated the castle and placed his coat of arms on the elevation. By the end of the 18th c., the castle was deserted by the inhabitants which contributed to the gradual destruction of it in 19th c. In that period the castle was used as stable. The works on preservation of the walls began in 1927 and, in 1946 the western peripheral walls with battlements were reconstructed. At the same time, walls of the residential building were raised and crowned with pseudo-battlements.

Architecture

The castle was built on the plan of an elongated polygon and occupied the terrain of more than 7000 m2. At the first stage of construction, is was probably encircled with provisional fortifications, which were later replaced by a wall. The central part of the castle complex was storeyed residential building made of stone, the so called Knight Hall, which was closing the courtyard from the South. It was placed orthogonally to the peripheral walls and built on the plan of a rectangle (34,8 x 12,8 m). On the southern part of it there was an avant-corps which could be the castle chapel. Each floor comprised two chambers. On the second floor adjoining the wall, there was a hall with a fireplace niche. The castle was probably gable-roofed. Flinty lancet windows and portals survived till today. On the peak of the hill, on the south-western corner of the castle there was a cylindrical flinty tower. The foundation of it that survived gives evidence that the tower had a protruding part directed to the West. This form of architecture is unique and typical for defense constructions from the times of Casimir the Great. In 15th century, on the ruins of the tower a storeyed building called “skarbczyk” was erected. In 1528 it was expanded. The gatehouse was created in 17th c. in the place of the previous gatehouse.

Last updated: 2013-04-04