Zholkovo Castle

d. Zolqua

Zholkovo Castle is an outstanding architectural monument of the Renaissance, the main element of the fortification system of the “ideal city” of Zholkva. The construction was started by the founder of the city S. Zholkevsky in 1594, the author of the first project was P. Happy. The castle is quadrangular, at the corners there are towers connected by covered galleries with two-storey buildings. The entrance with the Serlian portal is reinforced by a four-story tower. In the courtyard there is a palace and office premises. In 1606, the Menagerie Garden was built, in which bison, deer and chamois were bred for hunting. Zholkovsky Castle was the summer residence of the Polish king Jan II Sobieski, becoming one of the richest royal palaces in Europe (in 1676 there were celebrations in honor of the victory of Sobieski over the Turks near Vienna). Hetman I. Mazepa and Tsar Peter I stayed in the palace. Later the building became the property of the city. Until recently, various municipal institutions, a school and even residential apartments were located here. Now the State Historical and Architectural Reserve has been created, a tourist information center and a small museum with an exposition dedicated to the history of the city have been opened. The central facade has been restored, work continues inside.