The history of the castle in Stara Lubowla

Archaeological research dates the castle’s origins to the mid-13th century. It was most likely built on the orders of the King of Hungary, at a location from which the strategic north-south route linking Hungarian and Polish territories could be controlled. This border stronghold was founded at the crossroads of trade routes, near a toll station where tolls and customs duties were collected. In the 14th century, the castle was the scene of disputes, often armed, between the King of Hungary and the Slovak magnates.

In the 14th and early 15th centuries, Stara Lubowla became a centre for Polish-Hungarian relations. Louis of Hungary, ruler of both Hungary and Poland, would stay here during his journeys to Kraków. The castle was also visited by Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg and his wife, Queen Mary of Anjou (sister of St Hedwig).

It was at the castle in Stara Lubowla in 1412 that agreements were reached which strengthened Poland’s position on the international stage. Following the victory of the Polish-Lithuanian forces at Grunwald (1410) the Teutonic Knights’ ally, King Sigismund of Luxembourg of Hungary and Germany, was forced to sign a treaty with Władysław Jagiełło at Lubowla. Poland thus broke the encirclement from the north and south. Furthermore, the two rulers concluded a perpetual alliance directed against all their enemies.

Also in 1412, King Sigismund of Luxembourg transferred sixteen towns in Spisz and the castle at Stara Lubowla to the Polish ruler as security for a loan of 37,000 Prague groschen, which at the time amounted to approximately 7.5 tonnes of pure silver (over 8 tonnes of coins). Poland allocated funds from the compensation received from the Teutonic Order under the Peace of Toruń (1411) to repay the loan.

The province formally remained part of the Kingdom of Hungary – yet it was governed by Polish starosts, who also collected taxes there. As the loan was never repaid, Spisz remained part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth for the next 360 years. For nearly four centuries, the Polish part of Spisz became an oasis of peace and economic development, spared from religious wars, the Swedish Deluge and the Hungarian struggles for the throne. One of the first Polish starosts in Spisz was the famous knight Zawisza Czarny of Garbów, who held the post from 1420 to 1428.

The splendour and decline of the castle in Stara Lubowla

In the centuries that followed, the castle in Stara Lubowla became the seat of the Lubomirski family, who, thanks in part to their Spisz estates, grew in economic and political power. Sebastian Lubomirski, Castellan of Małogosze, purchased the office of Starost of Spisz in 1591 from Kacper Maciejowski, who was drowning in debt. The Castellan’s descendants transformed Stara Lubowla into a luxurious residence and, at the same time, a modern stronghold. In 1613, the starosty passed to Sebastian’s son, Stanisław, who added modern bastions to the castle in 1642.

During the Swedish invasion, Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski, Grand Marshal of the Crown, evacuated (1655) the coronation regalia of the Polish kings, Swedish kings and Muscovite tsars from Wawel to Lubowla. They were safe in the castle, which never fell into Swedish hands. What is more, the Polish garrison at the castle harassed Swedish troops in the vicinity of Nowy Targ and Nowy Sącz and ensured the safe return of King John II Casimir Vasa from Silesia. The regalia returned to Kraków in 1661. Today, a permanent exhibition of replicas of the regalia in the castle museum serves as a reminder of their presence in Lubowla.

The second half of the 18th century saw the fortress’s importance wane. In the spring of 1769, a detachment of the Bar Confederates attempted to seize the structure. At the request of the then Starost of Spisz, Kazimierz Poniatowski (brother of King Stanisław August Poniatowski), Austrian troops occupied the castle, and in 1772, following the First Partition, Lubowla finally returned to Hungarian administration, bringing the golden age in the castle’s history to an end alongside the separation of Spisz from Poland.

The stronghold became the seat of an estate encompassing the immediate vicinity and passed from hand to hand. However, the final chapter in its history as a private residence was once again written by the Poles. In 1945, the castle was nationalised as part of the Zamoyski estate, in whose hands it had been since 1883.

The architecture of the castle in Stara Lubowla

In the 15th century, the castle was dominated by a main tower with a Gothic palace. Following a fire in 1553, a Renaissance palace was built on the site. The most modern western bastion is the work of Italian architects. During the time of Stanisław Lubomirski, the extension work was carried out under the supervision of specialists from Vienna. The early Baroque palace with a chapel, the new gate and the eastern bastion date from this period. In the 18th century, the castle was rebuilt once again by an Italian architect.

The castle’s modern history in Stara Lubovla

The castle is currently home to the Lubownia Museum (L’ubovnianske múzeum). Among the building’s most valuable features is the distinctive main tower, which is open to visitors, as are the interiors of the Renaissance palace.

The castle museum boasts a restoration rate of 90 per cent. You should allow around two hours for the tour.