Kyiv Online

Ukrainian Heritage Sites

castleUNESCO World Heritage⭐ 4.5 (850 reviews)

Pidhirtsi Castle

A magnificent palace-fortress and pearl of Lviv region

📍 Pidhirtsi, Brody•🏛️ 1635-1640

About This Site

Pidhirtsi Castle is a residential castle-palace in the village of Pidhirtsi, Lviv Oblast, one of Ukraine's most beautiful castles. Built in 1635-1640 by architect Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan by order of Stanisław Koniecpolski.

Pidhirtsi Castle is one of the most outstanding architectural monuments of the late Renaissance and Baroque periods in Ukraine. The castle is located on a hilltop in the picturesque countryside of Pidhirtsi village in Lviv Oblast. Built between 1635 and 1640 by French architect and military engineer Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan on the orders of Grand Crown Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski on the site of an older fortress. The castle is a two-story building with three-story pavilions on the sides and an elegant Baroque tower. Unlike many of its contemporaries, Pidhirtsi Castle was designed not as a defensive fortress, but as a luxurious residential palace, reflecting Western European architectural trends of the era. The complex included the palace, a system of fortifications with bastions, an Italian-style park, and a church. Throughout the centuries, the castle belonged to various aristocratic families, including the Żebrowski, Rzewuski, and Sanguszko families. In its golden age, the palace was considered one of the most magnificent in Europe, with a rich collection of artworks, antique furniture, and weapons. Unfortunately, in the 20th century, the castle suffered significant damage from fires, looting, and neglect. Today, Pidhirtsi Castle is undergoing active restoration. Despite the damaged interior, the castle's exterior with its magnificent architecture and hilltop location remains impressive. The castle is a popular tourist destination, especially among history buffs, architecture enthusiasts, and photographers.

Historical Significance

The history of Pidhirtsi Castle begins in 1635 when Grand Crown Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski, one of the wealthiest magnates of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, decided to build a representative residence on the site of an older defensive fortress. The construction was commissioned to the outstanding French military engineer and cartographer Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan, who was working in the Commonwealth at that time. The work lasted five years (1635-1640) and resulted in the creation of an architectural masterpiece combining the functions of palace and fortress. The castle was surrounded by a system of earthen ramparts with bastions, moats, and drawbridges. A regular Italian-style park with terraces, fountains, and sculptures was laid out nearby. Soon after, the Church of St. Joseph was built, which became the family crypt of the Koniecpolski family. After Stanisław Koniecpolski's death in 1646, the castle was inherited by his son Alexander, but by 1682 the estate passed to the Żebrowski family due to debts, and later to the Rzewuski family. It was under the Rzewuski, especially under Wacław Rzewuski in the 18th century, that the castle experienced its greatest prosperity. The palace was decorated with luxurious interiors, assembled a huge library and gallery of paintings by European masters. Famous guests were received here, including French writer Honoré de Balzac. In the 19th century, the castle passed to the Sanguszko princes, the last private owners. Roman Sanguszko created a private museum here. Before World War II, he exported the most valuable exhibits abroad, which saved them from destruction. The war and post-war period were catastrophic for the castle. In 1941, a fire in the palace destroyed most of the interiors. During the Soviet period, a tuberculosis sanatorium was located here, which led to further decline. In 1956, a second major fire occurred. Only thanks to the efforts of art historian Borys Voznytsky did the castle receive reserve status and its restoration begin.

Pidhirtsi Castle is a unique monument demonstrating the evolution from defensive fortresses to luxurious palace residences in Eastern Europe of the 17th century. It is one of the few examples of a palace and park complex from the Renaissance and Baroque eras preserved in Ukraine, albeit in a damaged state. The architectural and artistic value of the castle lies in its unique combination of Western European architectural traditions with local defensive elements. The castle is part of the tourist route 'Golden Horseshoe of Lviv Region' together with castles in Olesko and Zolochiv. Despite the damage, the castle remains an important object of Ukraine's cultural heritage, a symbol of aristocratic culture of past eras, and an example of the region's complex history. It has also become the subject of numerous legends, including stories about ghosts and mystical events, which adds special romantic appeal.