Dębno castle

The best preserved 15th century castle in Małopolska can be admired in Dębno. It is a branch of the District Museum in Tarnów, which every year organizes there a knights’ tournament for Tarłowna’s golden braid. Before the stone construction was created there had been a wooden-ground stronghold belonging to comes Świętosław from the Gryfit family. The founder of the present castle was Jakub of Dębno, coat of arms Odrowąż, chancellor of the crown. The castle was built in years 1470-1480 and it has a shape of an irregular quadrangle and consists of four rectangular, two-storey segments which form an internal courtyard with a well.
In 1586 the castle was transformed into Renaissance style. At that time it was owned by Franciszek Wesselini, the secretary of king Stefan Batory. The next reconstruction was performed at the end of the 19th century, when the owners were members of the Tarłów family. It was then when a piece of the northern wing was added. The castle was a few times reconstructed over the centuries by changing owners, however, these works did not change its general image and original characteristic lump of the construction.