# Lanckorona Castle

- **Country:** Poland
- **Location Text:** in Lanckorona – Lesser Poland Voivodeship (ruins)

Lanckorona Castle is a historic fortress located in the town of Lanckorona, Poland, within the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Constructed in the early 14th century and completed before 1330 under the orders of King Casimir III the Great, the structure was originally designed in the Polish Gothic architectural style. Its primary strategic purpose was to safeguard the vital road leading to Kraków and to defend the border with the neighboring Duchy of Oświęcim. The original medieval stronghold featured a rectangular layout with two four-sided corner towers and a central courtyard enclosed by living quarters on the northwest side.

Throughout its history, the castle served as the main residence for local starosts and passed through the hands of several prominent noble families, including the Biekisz, Zebrzydowski, Czartoryski, and Wielopolski clans. The site witnessed significant military conflict, suffering extensive damage during the Swedish Deluge in 1655 and the Battles of Lanckorona in 1771. Notably, it was also the location where Jakub Derc was killed while leading a peasant revolt. In the late 18th century, members of the Bar Confederation, aided by French engineers, repaired and fortified the structure with external earthworks, cannon bastions, and a drawbridge before it was occupied by the Austrian army in 1772.

Following repeated destruction from fires and wars in 1655, 1771, and 1870, the castle ultimately fell into ruin. While the massive stone fortifications and earthworks once defined its presence on Castle Hill, today only remnants of the foundations and historical layouts remain. The site stands as a testament to the region's turbulent past, marking centuries of royal defense, noble residency, and armed rebellion. Although no longer habitable, the location retains historical importance as a former royal residence and a key defensive point in medieval and early modern Poland.

![Photo of Lanckorona Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/DB-lanckorona.JPG)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanckorona_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)