Palace in Borowno

The palace in Borowno is a late Baroque residence from 1790, associated with the Reszke family, famous opera singers. Today it is a private house, so it can only be viewed from a distance.

The Skarbeks, the Michalskis and the Reszkes

The palace originally belonged to the Skarbek family, and later the Karpiński and Michalski families lived in it, together with the Reszkes, who were related to them by marriage. In the 1880s the owner, Adam Michalski, married Emilia, sister of the singers Jean, Edouard and Józefina de Reszke. The siblings fell in love with the Częstochowa land and bought several estates here, among them Skrzydlów, Garnek and Chorzenice. In 1883 the Reszke brothers established a racehorse stud at their brother-in-law's; in 1901 the stud and a modern sports stable were created in nearby Skrzydlów. The famous singers were, however, frequent guests at the Borowno palace.

Decline and rebuilding

The last heir from the Skarbek count family brought the estate to ruin and it was auctioned off for debts just before the war. In 1940 the palace was partly converted into an electric mill, which deprived it of one wing, and in 1945 the estate was nationalised. Earlier its main entrance had been guarded by two stone lions from the first half of the 19th century; after the war one remained, and it was stolen at the end of 2000. The present owner restored the palace's former appearance and rebuilt the east wing.

What else was in the complex

The farm complex included a wooden granary from 1783, taken down in 1996 and reassembled in 2007 in Olsztyn at the foot of the castle, where a restaurant now operates. Small traces remain of the manor ponds and park, including old lime trees.

Practical information

• Place: Borowno, Częstochowa County.
• The palace is inhabited and is not open to visitors; it can only be seen from a distance.
• Nearby: Nieznanice Palace, about 3 km away.