Palace in Poręba Żegoty, Noble residence in Poręba Żegoty, Poland
This palace is a noble residence with multiple structures within its grounds, including a main building, chapel-mausoleum, granary, manager's house, and agricultural buildings. The estate also features park areas with fish ponds and a stone statue of Saint John Nepomucene, alongside remaining fragments of various outbuildings.
The estate remained under the Szembek family ownership until 1945, when World War II dramatically altered its purpose and function. During this period, the complex was repurposed as a recreation center for personnel working at Auschwitz-Birkenau nearby.
This residence shows how regional architecture changed over time, evolving from a wooden manor of the Korycinski family into a late Baroque structure under Franciszek Szwarcenberg-Czerny. The complex reflects the lifestyle and tastes of the local nobility who shaped the building and its surroundings according to their needs and preferences.
Visitors can walk through the grounds to observe the remaining structures and explore the park areas with their ponds and monuments. The location is in a rural setting, so it is helpful to come with time to spend wandering through the grounds at a relaxed pace.
Within the park stands a family mausoleum chapel built between 1920 and 1922, containing the graves of Alexander Szembek and his relatives. This structure serves as a touching memorial to the family whose presence defined the estate across generations.
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