Kamieniec Castle in Odrzykon – the divided castle
After seeing Przadki it is worth travelling just over a kilometre further west to see the ruins of the Gothic castle Kamieniec. This beautiful ruin that towers over the whole countryside is from the time of Casimir the Great. Originally its purpose was to protect the southern borders of the country against attacks from Russia and Hungary.
Over the centuries the castle was reconstructed several times and subsequently often changed owners. The most famous of these as Mikolaj Kamienicki, the first of the great royal Polish hetman. The castle remained in the hands of the Kamieniecki family from the late fourteenth century. Following this, part of the castle was gifted to the aristocrat Seweryn Boner, who then expanded it in the style of the Renaissance. At the end of the sixteenth century, the castle was inherited by both the Skotniccy families and Firlej families, who occupied the upper castle and lower castle respectively. This was the beginning of the most interesting period in the history of the castle.
Between the two families there was a feud that lasted for many years. The feud was about the land they occupied, the well they shared and the chapel they both had the use of. The conflict was resolved only by the love between the daughter of Skotnicki and the son of Firlej, and their subsequent marriage. In later years the castle became the dowry of Sophia Jablonowska, wife of Aleksander Fredro, who in 1828 became the next owner of the castle. The famous writer Aleksander Fredro happened to study documents relating to the history pf his wife’s inheritance where he found the litigation files of the famous family dispute. Based on these documented facts he was able to write one of the most famous Polish comedies, titled ‘Revenge’.
Today the castle is still divided as it belongs to two different districts. The greater part of the castle lies in the Korczyna district,whilst the lesser part in the village of Odrzykoń, which lies in the district of Wojaszowka. Only part of the castle is available to visitors, although this doesn’t take any charm away from the place. It is worth visiting the small museum in the Castle and the military exhibits that showcase the history of the stronghold. At the top of the castle stands statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszko placed there on the 100th anniversary of the Polish insurrection.