Castle in Koziegłowy

The castle in Koziegłowy survives as a ruin: remains of foundations and the outline of moats on the Sarni Stok stream. It was the administrative centre of the Koziegłowy estate in the Duchy of Siewierz and lay on the Silesia-Lesser Poland border.

History of the castle

The first castle was built on the site of an earlier wooden fortification at the end of the 14th century. It was presumably built by Mściwoj of Kwilina or the Sącz castellan Krystyn of Koziegłowy. It was first mentioned by Jan Długosz in 1409, when Krystyn received a detachment of troops from Władysław Jagiełło to defend the frequently raided borderland. In 1426 the king himself stayed at the castle.

In 1519 the estate was sold to the Bishop of Kraków and from then on belonged to the Kraków bishops. In 1548 the castle was already abandoned, and in 1598 it was again described as ruined. Even so, in 1655 the burgrave and starost Stanisław Kawecki defended himself in its ruins against the Swedes for several days. In 1865 the Russian authorities ordered the remains to be pulled down and used to build a road to Gniazdów.

What it looked like

The castle was built on a rectangular plan measuring 50 by 25 metres, and within walls 2.5 metres thick stood a residential building. To the east rose a gate tower measuring 9 by 9 metres, and the gate was reached by a 125-metre causeway. The whole was surrounded by two lines of ramparts faced with limestone, three metres high, and a water-filled moat.

Research and reconstruction

Archaeological work was carried out in 1962 and in 1966-1969; coins, crossbow bolt heads, spurs and a dozen or so cannonballs were found. Research in 2022 uncovered the foundations of the gate tower and a fragment of the perimeter wall with a corner, and also showed that the demolition in the 19th century had been carried only down to ground level. The municipality is preparing a partial reconstruction of the castle and stronghold: a reconstruction of the walls, the entrance gate, a wooden bridge and a palisade. The scope and state of the work need to be checked with the municipal office.

Practical information

• Location: Koziegłowy, Myszków County, on the Sarni Stok stream.
• The rules of entry and the hours are best checked with the municipality.
• Nearby, about a kilometre from the castle: the Mariavite chapel and the Mariavite cemetery in Gniazdów.