Krzyżtopór Castle is located in Ujazd in Świętokrzyskie. It was built in the seventeenth century, and today only some part of it exists, mostly ruins.
It is a vast palace-castle built in the Italian style, lays in a pentagon bastion fortification (pentagon – associated with Mars – god of War). It served as representative and defense building.
Above the gate there is a characteristic cross (a symbol of faith and politics) and an axe – a symbol referring to the arms race of Ossoliński family, where the founder of the castle – Krzysztof Ossoliński was coming from. He was provincial governor of Sandomierz. The symbols on the gate had to defend the faith of inhabitants, from which they will never depart.
You could say that the castle is an attempt to realize the dream of the founder. He had possibilities, familiar name and ancestral fortune. In the seventeenth century – until the construction of Versailles – they said that Krzyztopor is Northern Europe’s largest complex of castle and palace. In its heyday splendor reigned there: the roof of the tower was built of glass, around the palace stretched gardens. What’s interesting this object has never been fully completed. Both the founder of the castle, and his son had no luck to live in this castle. As a result of the disease founder has died, and his son was killed in the war expedition. Successive owners were reluctant to spend money to complete the facility and in consequent the castle fell into disrepair.
It is interesting that during the construction of the castle there’s highlighted the founder’s passion for numbers and their magic. And so as a result the castle was founded with 365 windows (as much as the days in a year), 52 rooms (symbolizing weeks), 12 rooms (symbolizing months) and 4 towers (quarters).
The castle occupies an area of 1.3 hectares, the total length of the walls is 600m. They are designated hiking trails, and the property is officially open to the public. Through the EU grant was object adapted for tourism – new safeguards in hazardous locations, the lighting of the underground, and even metal staircase has been built. In addition, at the gate we can find a souvenir shop and sanitary facilities.
Visiting the castle is also an interesting attraction for children who were interested to find secret passages linking individual place in the castle.