Krzyżtopór

Krzyżtopór Palace
View on the main gate, with symbols of cross and axe.
General information
Architectural style	Polish Mannerism-early Baroque
Town or city	Ujazd
Country	Poland
Construction started	1621
Completed	ca. 1644
Client	Krzysztof Ossoliński
Design and construction
Architect	Wawrzyniec Senes

Krzyżtopór (Polish pronunciation: [kʂɨʂˈtɔpur]) is a castle located in the village of Ujazd, Iwaniska commune, Opatów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It was originally built by a Polish nobleman and Voivode of Sandomierz, Krzysztof Ossoliński (1587–1645). The castle was partially destroyed during the Swedish invasion known as The Deluge in 1655, and then reduced to ruin during the war of the Bar Confederation by the Russians in 1770.

It is unknown when the construction of this impressive fortress began. Krzysztof Ossoliński's father, Jan Zbigniew Ossoliński, gave him the village of Ujazd in 1619; however, first documented proof of the construction of the castle comes from 1627, when it was uncompleted. The nobleman probably finished it in 1644, having spent the enormous sum of 30 million Polish złotys on the work. Unfortunately, Ossoliński did not enjoy it for long, as he died suddenly the next year in Kraków.

The castle was inherited by Ossoliński's son Krzysztof Baldwin Ossoliński, who died in 1649 in the Battle of Zborów. After his death, the formidable complex was purchased by the family of the Denhoffs, then by the Kalinowskis.

In 1655, during the Swedish invasion of Poland, the castle was captured by the Swedes, who occupied it until 1657, pillaging the entire complex. The damage to the structure was so extensive that after the Swedes’ withdrawal it was not rebuilt, as it was deemed too costly. Several noble families (the Morsztyns, the Wiśniowieckis and the Pacs) lived in the best preserved, western wing, but the castle otherwise remained in ruins.