Manor House in Podlesie

The manor house in Podlesie stands in the northern part of the village, by the road to Zagacie, opposite St Giles's Church. It is a single-storey, brick and plastered building from the late 18th century, today in poor technical condition and in private hands.

Who built the manor house in Podlesie

The manor house was built at the end of the 18th century, when the estate was managed by the Potocki and Czapski families. Other sources say it was built by the German colonist Karol Lochmann, who bought the estate in 1829. In the first half of the 18th century the village belonged to the Tęgoborski family, hence the name Tęgoborski manor sometimes encountered.

In 1810 the farm passed to Wojciech Ostrowski of Radoszewnica as the dowry of his wife Teresa née Potocka, and later to the physician Franciszek Berger, who received it in exchange for free treatment of peasants and townspeople from the Koniecpol estates. The palace in Radoszewnica is described in a separate entry: Palace in Radoszewnica.

What the building looks like

The manor house has a rectangular plan measuring 13 by 30 metres, one storey, a gabled roof covered with sheet metal and nine window bays. The facade is asymmetrical, because the entrance is to the right of the building's axis. Wide steps lead to the door and become a small terrace set into a recess of the facade, supported by two Tuscan columns. A second entrance is on the western side.

The manor house lies in a complex of former farm buildings, of which the distillery is ruined, and the manor park is neglected. The 18th-century park was entered in the heritage register of the Silesian Voivodeship under number 657 (entry of 18 December 1957).

The manor house after 1945 and the earthwork nearby

In the Polish People's Republic period the manor house held a health clinic and a post office, and from 1966 a primary school. About 400 metres north of the manor house a large conical earthwork survives, probably the remains of a medieval fortified knightly residence. It is about 6 km from here to the Palace in Koniecpol.

Practical information

• Location: Podlesie, Częstochowa County, by the road to Zagacie, opposite St Giles's Church.
• The building is privately owned and, according to available descriptions, is being renovated, so it is seen from outside; before your visit it is worth asking the municipal office about its current condition and accessibility.
• To see: the facade with Tuscan columns and the area of the former farm.