Radziejowice
This small place situated in the lightly hilly terrain of Mszczonów Heights has always captured attention with its beauty. Its picturesque landscape and usefulness as fortification had led the powerful Radziejowski family to built their residence here in the 15th century. Two centuries later the frequently rebuilt Renaissance manor two centuries later acquired the shape of a baroque palace complex interconnected with spacious gardens. The palace hosted an array of Polish and foreign individualities foremost of whom were the Polish kings _ Sigismund III Vasa, Władysław IV Vasa and John III Sobieski. In the mid 17th century Primate Michael Radziejowski finished rebuilding a wing from the original palace configuration which presently constitutes a section of the palace complex. After the Primate’s death the Prażmowski family inherited his estate.
photos: Adam Walanus
Subsequently Radziejowice belonged to the Ossoliński family, and then in 1782 came into possession of the Krasińskis and remained until the end of World War II when most of the large private estates were nationalized in 1945.
At the turn of the 18th century Kazimierz Krasiński the Chancellor of the Crown, transformed the palace into its present classical form. Józef Wawrzyniec Krasiński, the chevau-léger, officer of The Duchy of Warsaw, continued upgrading the residence. He had the palace interiors decorated with paintings; a small theatre established in the attic; the small neo-gothic romantic tower next to the main palace built, the brick neo-classical church elevated, and a landscape park created around the palace.
Because of its proximity to Warsaw, Radziejowice had many visitors: writers, journalists, poets and painters, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, the Noble prize winner in literature, Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, the writer, Lucjan Rydel the poet, and painters Wojciech Kossak and Józef Chełmoński, who lived in nearby Kuklówka.
After the devastation of World War II, the palace complex was nationalized and rebuilt with the funds from the Ministry of Culture and Art. Since 1965 the palace has functioned as a creative work home for artists, writers, actors, film-makers, musicians and painters.
Source: www.palacradziejowice.pl