Cracow Bishops' Palace in Kielce

Palace of the Kraków Bishops National Museum
Pałac Biskupów Krakowskich w Kielcach
Main façade as seen from the Collegiate Church.
General information
Architectural style	Mannerist-early Baroque
Town or city	Kielce
Country	Poland
Coordinates	50°52′09″N 20°37′39″E / 50.86917°N 20.62750°E / 50.86917; 20.62750
Construction started	1637
Completed	1644
Client	Jakub Zadzik
Design and construction
Architect	Tommaso Poncino

The Palace of the Kraków Bishops in Kielce (Polish: Pałac Biskupów Krakowskich w Kielcach), was built in the 17th century as a summer residence of Bishops of Kraków in Kielce, Poland. The architecture of the palace constitute a unique mélange of Polish and Italian traditions and reflects political ambitions of its founder. Currently the palace houses a branch of the National Museum with an important gallery of Polish paintings.

The residence of the Kraków (Cracow) Bishops in the city of Kielce, was founded by bishop Jakub Zadzik, Great Crown Chancellor. The structure, erected between 1637 and 1644, was covered with a high-storey twin roofs and accomplished with towers on the corners.

Its symmetrical, tripartite plan, loggias, towers and interior layout refer to the Royal residences dating back the 1620s and 1630s, including Ujazdów Castle and the Villa Regia. The design of the palace is attributed to Tommaso Poncino of Lugano (ca. 1570–1659), author of numerous works of sacred and secular architecture in Kraków, Łowicz, Warsaw, Bright Mountain as well as in the Holy Cross region.

Initially before the palace was a courtyard enclosed by walls with ceremonial gateway from the city, the rear garden, called Italian, an orchard, all surrounded by a wall with embrasures and 2 bastions. One of the bastions was later converted into a gunpowder tower. The whole complex including the Collegiate Church,cour d'honneur, palace, garden and tower was aligned with a Bernardine Monastery on Karczówka hill (established 1624–1628).