History of the castle in Stará Ľubovňa

Archaeological research dates the beginnings of the castle to the middle of the 13th century. Probably it was built by order of the king of Hungary, in a place from which it was possible to control the strategic north-south route connecting the Hungarian and Polish estates. The border fortress was founded at the crossroads of trade routes, near a stall where toll and duty were collected. In the 14th century, the castle was the arena of disputes, sometimes armed, between the King of Hungary and the Slovak magnates.

In the 14th and early 15th century, Stará Ľubovňa became the centre of Polish-Hungarian contacts. The ruler of Hungary and Poland, Louis of Hungary stayed here during his journeys to Krakow. The castle was also visited by Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg and his wife, Queen Mary of Anjou (sister of St Jadwiga).

It was at the castle in Stará Ľubovňa in 1412 that arrangements were made to strengthen Poland's position in the international arena. As a result of the victory of the Polish-Lithuanian forces at Grunwald (1410), an ally of the Teutonic Knights, the King of Hungary and Germany, Sigismund of Luxemburg, was forced to sign a treaty with Władysław Jagiełło at Lubowla. Poland thus broke the encirclement from the north and south. Moreover, both rulers concluded a perpetual alliance against all enemies.

Also in 1412, King Sigismund of Luxemburg handed over 16 Spiš towns and the castle in Stará Ľubovňa to the Polish sovereign as collateral for a loan of 37,000 kopecks of Prague pennies, i.e. around 7.5 tonnes of pure silver at the time (more than 8 tonnes of coins). Poland used money from the indemnity received from the Teutonic Order under the Peace of Torun (1411) for the loan.

The province remained formally part of the Kingdom of Hungary - but was governed and taxed by Polish starosts. As the loan was never repaid, Spiš remained with the Republic for the next 360 years. The Polish part of Spiš became for almost four centuries an oasis of peace and economic development, free from religious wars, the Swedish Deluge and Hungarian battles for the throne. One of the first Polish aldermen in Spiš was the famous knight Zawisza Czarny from Garbów in the years 1420-1428.

Splendour and decline of Stará Ľubovňa Castle

In the following centuries, the castle in Stará Ľubovňa became the seat of the Lubomirski family, which, among other things, grew into an economic and political power thanks to the Spiš estates. In 1591, Sebastian Lubomirski, castellan of Maloga, bought the office of starost of Spiš from Kacper Maciejowski, who was drowning in debts. The castellan's descendants turned Stará Ľubovňa into a luxurious residence and a modern fortress at the same time. In 1613, the starosty fell to Sebastian's son, Stanislav, 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 insignia of Polish kings, Swedish kings and Moscow tsars from Wawel to Lubowla. They were safe in the castle, which never fell into Swedish hands. Moreover, the Polish garrison of the castle harassed Swedish troops in the vicinity of Nowy Targ and Nowy Sącz and secured the return of King Jan II Casimir Vasa from Silesia. The precious stones returned to Krakow in 1661. Today, a permanent exhibition of copies of the insignia in the castle museum reminds visitors of their presence in Lubowla.

The second half of the 18th century was the time when the importance of the fortress declined. In the spring of 1769, a detachment of the Confederates of Bar attempted to capture the building. At the request of the then Prefect of Spiš, Kazimierz Poniatowski (brother of King Stanislaus August Poniatowski), the castle was occupied by the Austrian army, and in 1772, after the first partition, Ľubovňa was finally returned to Hungarian administration, ending the golden period in the castle's history with the separation of Spiš from Poland.

The stronghold became the seat of an estate encompassing the close surrounding area and passed from hand to hand. However, the last accent in its history as a private residence was again written by the Poles. In 1945, the castle was nationalised as the property of the Zamoyskis, in whose hands it had been since 1883.

The architecture of the castle in Stará Ľubovňa

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

Current history of Stará Ľubovňa Castle

At present, the castle houses the Ľubovňa Museum (L'ubovnianske múzeum). Among the most valuable elements of the building is the characteristic main tower, which can be visited, as can the interior of the Renaissance palace.

The castle museum boasts a restoration rate of up to 90%. The tour should take about two hours.