Dembiński Palace in Szczekociny, Classical palace in Szczekociny, Poland

Dembiński Palace is an early Neoclassical palace built on a rectangular plan with a mansard roof and dormers. The symmetrical facade centres on a three-storey projection topped by an attic with a clock face, above which a cartouche shows the Leliwa and Pobóg coats of arms flanked by knights; statues of Flora and Pomona stand at the attic edges, and an arcaded portico occupies the ground floor. The garden side has a projection with a triangular pediment carved with Diana and Actaeon from Ovid's Metamorphoses.

The Dembiński family owned Szczekociny from 1709, when a wooden manor built by the Koryciński family still stood. Around 1775 Franciszek and Urszula Dembiński decided to build a new residence; after Franciszek's death in 1776 Urszula continued the work, completed in 1794. Władysław Tatarkiewicz attributed the design to Jan Ferdynand Nax. After World War II a school occupied the palace; a 1980 fire destroyed the roof and roof truss, and since 1990 it has stood unused.

The palace reflects 18th-century classical taste in its symmetrical design and formally arranged rooms. The interior decoration reveals the wealth and status of its owners within Polish society.

The palace has been unused since 1990 and is in very bad condition, with damaged facade decoration, stucco and fittings, so it can only be viewed from outside. The main axis runs east-west from Senatorska Street through the courtyard to the park; the two guardhouses stand by the main gate. The grounds are unpaved, so wear sturdy shoes.

The garden facade's triangular pediment carries a relief of Diana and Actaeon taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, with the Leliwa coat of arms and two female figures beside it. The front attic shows a clock dial above a cartouche with the Leliwa and Pobóg arms flanked by knights, and statues of Flora and Pomona at the corners.