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TABLE OF CONTENTS: The main branch of the rulers of 2 Key dates 4 in the era of the of Mazovia 7 Jazdów 8 Three Crosses Square (Plac Trzech Krzyży) 8 Church of St. Anna 8 Royal Castle 9 St. John’s Cathedral 10 City walls 10 House belonging to the Dukes of Mazovia 11 Street (Ulica Zakroczymska) 11 Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Western Part 13 Zakroczym 14 Czerwińsk 15 Wyszogród 17 Bodzanów 17 Płock 18 Drobin 21 22 Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Eastern Part 25 26 Pułtusk 26 Maków Mazowiecki 28 30 Grudusk 31 Ciechanów 32 Opinogóra 33 Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia 35 36 Liw 36 Węgrów 38 THE DUKES Ostrów Mazowiecka 39 DOWNLOAD Route of Janusz 43 APPLICATION 44 OF MAZOVIA ROUTE 45 46 47 Sieciechów 48 Iłża 49 tourist guide Szydłowiec 49 www.dziedzictwomazowsza.pl Chlewiska 51 Route of the Siemowits 53 Błonie 54 56 Brochów 57 58 Giżyce 60 Sanniki 60 Project entitled “Tourist routes showcasing the cultural heritage of Mazovia”, co-funded by the European Union from 61 the European Regional Development Fund, as part of the Regional Operational Programme of the Mazowieckie Voivodship for 2007-2013, Priority 6.2 Tourism B

OSTRÓDA I IŁAWA MOŃKI SOKÓŁKA GRUDZIĄDZ MIASTO LUBAWSKIE A The series WĄBRZEŹNO DZIAŁDOWO ŁOMŻA also includes p. 24 p. 34 GOLUB- OSTROŁĘKA -DOBRZYŃ MŁAWA ŻUROMIN BIAŁYSTOK Ł PRZASNYSZ ZAMBRÓW TORUŃ RYPIN WYSOKIE Wisła p. 12 Opinogóra 3 MAKÓW Narew MAZ. SIERPC MAZ.

CIECHANÓW MAZOVIA. Today,O it is the heart of . At the time of the formation of the Commonwealth, it was its own ALEKSANDRÓW LIPNO OSTRÓW MAZ. state for more than three centuries. The centre of the region is the bustling of Warsaw, surrounded by KUJAWSKI PUŁTUSK towns, villages and landmarks yet to be fully explored. Curious travellers will discover in the region a number of WŁOCŁAWEK p. 52 PŁOŃSK WYSZKÓW mysterious castles and manors, historic churches and quaint little towns, as well as former battlefields and diverse landscapes that have been attracting film makers to the area for many years now. Mazovia is one big reservoir PŁOCK of historical, cultural and natural wealth. All you have to do is stand at its boundaries and say the magic words: NOWY Serock 4 SOKOŁÓW SIEMIATYCZE Mazovia, openR sesame! And then follow the route of your choice. GOSTYNIN 2 DWÓR MAZ. PODLASKI WĘGRÓW Zakroczym Here is THE DUKES OF MAZOVIA ROUTE – where you can travel back in time to the , when WOŁOMIN 6 Mazovia gained importance and prosperity thanks to the wisdom and ambition of its rulers. The progenitor of the OŻARÓW Mazovian branch of the Piast was Konrad of Mazovia. The story of the dynasty he originated speaks of

KOŁO MAZ. WARSZAWA ŁOSICE three centuriesU in which a civilisation was built across virtually unspoilt territory. The dukes founded more than a SOCHACZEW Błonie 1 SIEDLCE MIŃSK MAZ. hundred towns and built castles and churches in a style known as Mazovian Gothic, which have become a perma- ŁOWICZ GRODZISK MAZOWIECKI PRUSZKÓW nent fixture in the history of art. Mazovia’s past also involves some shocking family histories (one of which became ŁĘCZYCA p. 42 PIASECZNO BIAŁA an inspiration for Shakespeare), legends about the treasures of the Knights Templar and an incredible invention

ŻYRARDÓW PODLASKA that helped secure the victory of the Polish and ŁUKÓW LithuanianŚ army, assisted by Mazovian units, in GARWOLIN the . WYVERN – A SYMBOL OF THE DUKES OF MAZOVIA PODDĘBICE GRÓJEC RADZYŃ The Dukes of Mazovia Route is one of three new The two-legged dragon known as a wyvern was ŁÓDŹ BRZEZINY PODLASKI routes that will enable you to discover the Mazo- featured in the duchy’s seals and flags from 1329 RAWA MAZ. 5 RYKI PARCZEW vian Heritage. It is also worth exploring the other until the fall of the Duchy of Mazovia in 1526. Ma- Warsaw in the era of the Dukes KOZIENICE two. The Chopin Route follows in the footsteps zovia was the sole place in continental 1 ŁASKPABIANICE | p. 7 of Mazovia TOMASZÓW BIAŁOBRZEGI of one of the world’s foremost composers, who where a dragon came to symbolise power, much MAZOWIECKI ZDUŃSKA spent half his life in Mazovia. The Battle of War- like in Arthur-Era England, while elsewhere Route of Konrad of Mazovia LUBARTÓW WOLA2 | p. 13 saw 1920 Route is a trek back in time and space in the dragon signified evil. Could - Western Part that will help you understand why a battle that the wyvern have come to Mazovia from the British BEŁCHATÓW PRZYSUCHA ZWOLEŃ PUŁAWY ŁĘCZNA Route of Konrad of MazoviaPIOTRKÓW took place almost a century ago is considered Isles? There is the possibility that the coat of arms 3 | p. 25 - Eastern Part TRYBUNALSKI one of the crucial events in European history. was brought over by Magnus, son of England’s Chlewiska ŚWIDNIK King Harold, killed in the Battle of Hastings. It Route of Duchess Anna and KOŃSKIE LIPSKO For more information, go to is presumably his tomb that was uncovered in 4 | p. 35 SZYDŁOWIEC PAJĘCZNOthe last Dukes of Mazovia www.dziedzictwomazowsza.pl Czersk near the ruins of the Church of St. Peter LUBELSKIE Wisła There is also an applicationand Paul. for mobile devices 5 Route of Duke Janusz | p. 43 SKARŻYSKO- STARACHOWICE - KRASNYSTAW 6 Route of the Siemowits | p. 53 OSTROWIEC KRAŚNIK ŚWIĘTOKRZYSKI KŁOBUCK WŁOSZCZOWA The Dukes of Mazovia Route C Z E C H Y

A

N I A R K U Primary branch of Mazovia’s rulers

2 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 3 Czersk Castle 1313

Duke Bolesław II dies. 1370 300 years of On his deathbed, he divides Mazovia King Casimir the Great dies heirless as the last among his three member of the on the Polish . sons, II, Following a feudal contract between the king and Trojden and Duke Siemowit III, Mazovia becomes united and

Wenceslaus sovereign once again. The sovereign status of Ma- M azovia’s independence – key dates of Płock zovia was reflected in Duke Siemowit III’s refusal to Mazovia’s 300 years of independence From this participate in the of Louis of as moment on, the king of Poland. Siemowit III divides the duchy be- key dates Duchy will be divided tween his two sons, giving Eastern Mazovia, with its into provinces and partial- capital in Czersk, to Janusz and Western Mazovia, ly feudally dependent on Czech rulers, and then on with its capital in Płock, to Siemowit IV. This division 1138 the king of Poland for nearly 60 years. Unification was in effect until Mazovia was finally incorporated into and independence of the Duchy are not brought Poland. Prince Bolesław Wrymouth about until the succession of Trojden’s son, Duke Around the year 1200 dies in Sochaczew. He Siemowit III, who is considered to be one of Mazovia’s At the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries leaves behind a will in which, most brilliant rulers. a grandson of Bolesław Wrymouth, Konrad of Mazo- as noted by , the Duchy of Mazovia is at its peak, and its rulers are via (1187/1188-1247) becomes the sovereign Duke of to prevent any civil wars, feuds among the key players on the political scene in this part Mazovia and . He shares the provinces, which or conflicts that might erupt after 1454 of Europe. Taking advantage of the in- were the legacy of his father, Casimir the Just, with his his death, he divided the Kingdom terregnum following the death of Lou- brother Leszek the White. of Poland, which up until then he ruled single-handedly Bolesław IV, a grandson of Duke Janusz, dies is I of Hungary, Siemowit IV attempts as its sole duke and , among his four sons. He during a hunting trip. He leaves behind his young to secure the Polish throne for him- assigns to the eldest son supreme power and the royal sons in his Eastern Mazovian domain. A year lat- self. To accumulate the funds needed 1228 throne at Wawel. The sovereign Duchy of Mazovia will er, after the passing of his cousin Władysław I, to fight for the , he mortgages later emerge from one of the provinces into which Po- who reigned in Western Mazovia and also left behind part of Mazovia to the Teutonic Or- Mazovia sees the arrival of the first members of the land was divided. young heirs, the Duchy of Mazovia had no adult heir der. Eastern Mazovia, ruled by Duke . In the first year, there were only two. to the throne. Janusz, plays an important part in pre- In light of the difficult situation along the northern paring for the Battle of Grunwald. border and having practically lost the Chełmno Land 1247 to , Konrad of Mazovia is forced to enter into 1462 an agreement with Hermann von After the death of Konrad of Mazovia, Mazovia is di- 1524-1526 Salza, the Grand Master of the vided between his two sons, Bolesław I and Siemowit The Płock branch of the Dukes of Mazovia, who ruled the Teutonic Order. In return for I. A year later, after the death of Bolesław, all of the western part of Mazovia, dies out. Within a matter of sev- A short, two-year time frame sees the death of solving the Prussian crisis, land is taken over by Siemowit I, who rules until 1262, eral months, Mazovia witnesses the heirless passing of Stanisław (1524) and Janusz III (1526), who were the the Teutonic Knights re- when he is killed during a Lithuanian and Ruthenian the young sons of Władysław I, 16-year-old Siemowit VI last two Dukes of Mazovia ruling the eastern part of ceive the Chełmno Land attack, most likely by his brother-in-law. Siemowit’s and his 14-year-old brother, Władysław II. Polish king Mazovia. Their land is incor- from Konrad of Mazovia. sons, Konrad II and Bolesław II, split Mazovia between Casimir Jagiellon, taking advantage of their deaths and porated into Poland. To this The Order successfully themselves. The former rules in Eastern Mazovia with his rights as the feudal lord, annexes onto Poland the day, the circumstances of the deals with Prussia. Their its capital in Czersk, the latter in the western part with first lands in Mazovia: the lands of Rawa and Gostynin. dukes’ death are mysterious. last bastion falls in 1283, its capital in Płock. Bolesław II then takes control over By the end of the 15th century, subsequent Polish rul- Some even suspected it was i.e. half a century after the the entire duchy for 19 years after the heirless death ers incorporate the remaining lands in Western Mazo- double murder that put an conquest began. of his brother. via into the Commonwealth. end to the Duchy of Mazovia.

4 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 5 Nacze lniko ws ka

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e o u a S w ł K l o Rynek K ic N D W-WA k Mariensztacki O a a S k Mariensztat STADION rs P o K No t o Warsaw in the era of the Dukes a r w a B z y z MARIENSZTAT u - k e n ia 3 D lw s ja o zd e Furmańska o a ił w S ka b r A n o ars r G L Bi a z dn a r pl. el M e z . J ań D ic B y s pl. o m Go ka w AN Bankowy g l a e i K a W ł zi s a e w y- W e az k m Teatralny r r o Y S A i r a a r Y ip o ie a B ie l C e k B P o I” g K R d R of Mazovia w r W o l Z A o C o - Z tunel e N Ś ie w c E W O a C r cka E k Ż RN sk a z a s B Ż ie E Ł A or n b b k r E g A t o ę i o D a a r e o LI n l w T w K S I e e Focha I O t a P O Z pie S S ta a a C li „ r r st Ś o . z n Z w L Wiadukt a ę C E o A ła e a G I I C a N d a U K l a ich ow an S S I o O c y ńsk m ar Markiewicza śl Y Ń k ie r Ossoli K i Z Z S o Warsaw was established around the year 1300 by r i W K T R la N d e D S K K S e ś a O

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e L r S Nauki I n R. Siwca pl. a W Duke Bolesław II, a grandson of Konrad of Mazo- LAST DUKES OF MAZOVIA

a K Ś d n Park ad IE Kopernik o Grób J. Piłsud- R na h Ogród Kazimie- a ralZ c Nieznanego skiego sk Y to im e yń E W via. The oldest part of Warsaw, which, in the early In a matter of a year and a half (1524-1526), the Warsaw k z z le e n r Żołnierza rzowski c k O El S sz tr a P e y e L c I C w T zn asia a o na a N Pt K e Oboźn p ia 14th century covered the area of today’s Old Town, castle saw the childless death at a young age of the last two a r i n D pl. Żelaznej Saski pl. St. y D e w a r n l e E sk ta a y r R w Małachow- ut s ó n D Bramy e ug w POWIŚLE Ś pl. l a i a J ró Tr a . was surrounded by an embankment, and the first Mazovian dukes, Stanisław and Janusz III. Their death marks K skiego . s a R T y z S T

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Lubomirskich pl.J.H. z li n d N J . o a . B k k L r w a a a M A g z o rto i o t a o sz k e w brick buildings- were: the City Tower (Wieża Grodz- the end of the dynasty of the Dukes of Mazovia, who ruled for Dąbrow- y c ew

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C w w o - a E . o w g h r o I G i D c ka)K adjacent to the castle, the Gate Tower (Wieża more than 300 years. The death of the two dukes, particularly

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y M m o a A b l R J a S. ln y u u M T w a z a n a Bramna) (so-called Crane Tower (Wieża Żuraw)) Janusz, is being questioned to this day. Even before the death hm r n c b s O P ż a s G oc ó . k E I Kr G Pr n h u i o A ZA ŻELAZNĄ BRAMĄ ka O e g SK a s a s g W y K W a z a k e O kr t i ck o n T W k a a A d to n o ó I ię Gy o N Ł r o w a rd a n p O A and two gates leading into town: the Kraków Gate of Janusz III, two people were convicted and brutally execut- l w g Ś O n r ż P A a a a y J. Ł a B e i e z . k pl. ł k z r S s Teatr w c r K M W ow I T B n C K T b I a z S y k s a O I a rz i Powst. c y i la M E G Żydowski k reT k k g z a c ń y D l P s W i a z (Brama Krakowska) and the New Town Gate (Bra- ed (by slow-burning over fire for four hours) for attempting i iu u e z c c C Jn W-wy s zA WA-WA Z l o S w y S ó M a M a g k i Fliharmonia w E e t z ń . w e s i o i S a m - e u K p p r g POWIŚLE Z r Narodowa ł r ł a a i a t a i z t y Y d a inc a o a W ma Nowomiejska). What is known today as St. to poison the duke. It was suspected that the poisoning had r Ż a a w a - Ń w ń k M ie l S e T ys k a n o io s rz en en l l S l k A i u a o sa e ś ka a ca k to S od eg k c K s re a ię R B i o la ow z e k F I b P Św s r B rzy n S ór s John’s Cathedral used to be a wooden church, and been ordered by Katarzyna Radziejowska. The voivode’s G GP tunel IE u a Z SK Park ka l r ok a M w A Zg z k oln LI ja - a a o es m O Ma ta a k S Ł t d S Z 3 s r o a o ńs ł P O l. F a ŚRÓDMIEŚCIE K ZW ER A y a o P g z P a . J J.Porazińskiej r the house of the town mayor was located in the market beautiful daughter is believed to have done it to take revenge s pl. O a L w l l i s n A e P o o n a e el i i ta Rondo ONZ W a B n t os a t c mi k y Pr sk o e Defilad ż h ra li h C c s O ll Ś w r S k M i a a a k a K w r ynek W ńs ł . o square. In 1406, Warsaw replaced Czersk as the - on the two Mazovian rulers for rejecting her advances. Others Pa a PKiN A Muz. o R i n k ś a n w ie tunel Rondo z Solecki la d S N i k Narodowe c r ska do c n a li i o u z e

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WARSZAWA w a j w K a a ital of Eastern Mazovia. In the same year, the dukes suspected that Radziejowska was instructed to act by Bona T a n k i y d a s s t ŚRÓDMIEŚCIE Rondo u g w ło Ś L Z My ą o R. Dmowskiego w C r n k la

i z i established a new town behind the city walls of Old Sforza herself, for whom it would have been convenient for a e r O

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a Z T a M Z G s e r ln LI Roma na Krzyży Pru b a a ie o e l . i A ó B. k r the DukesO of Mazovia r t l w looked more like a harpy than a beautiful maid with a mours, King Sigismund the Old appointed a special board of m s p g h Z a s o a C O Ł k W z o - R Office ia b w S A JE w K i N . a e o i u a L ur O t lla s ln A Center Ż g w a k j ie A a ie W o l i k m W c . e h Three Crosses Square (Plac Trzech Krzyży) –- l . c a ), New Town was given a different coat of arms, investigators, who clarified the situation during a session of C 2 . s o . SK a C n Św ż i M g g r o U e a ie E H r a o n ó P S j ck M g C . A j s F na . Ś Barbary k a Se B c a P o k i H o z r e Z Warsz. z a a h l a n - WARSZAWA commemorationA ofa mediaeval hermits r d - o a featuring a maid with a unicorn. the (the lower house of the Polish ). Upon n k T u k - d w ą s S t o yń o w l a Ł e a s sz h o o ś O zk Opera p a y c g K r n M U w e d r ń M o i s G ó ro k w go s m k u g s ie s k

B s D k a o Kameralna i o s a ź w k I t k K o IŃ m a N a s S Church of St. Anna – a Bernardine church o i a W examining the deceased duke, doctors found that he left this 3 e r O S a k i T K Nowo- ln ka ń N K ó a o i ląs IE sp ż jk oś s AZ I o ate rn a Ł W R k n grodzka E H M M Gó rycz a ab G - o F Royal – residence of the Dukes of Mazovia o world and died not through human intervention but by the will 4 J Pr z a O a b k . k z C o- s n r d Gór o o L M s r - r fe er g ă a zi e y - e o J ka ś J w l s t a lą n ś e o n i i ięk a li o N k n P w eg o z n ki n of God Almighty. The cause of the deaths was ascribed to the c St. John’s Cathedral – burial place of the Dukes of Mazovia z s 5 e i

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W L N S . excessive drinking and leading a lavish lifestyle. However, in Poland o Warsaw Tourist Information Centres: i . Zaułek N e a k I r E o ż z a Braci Ró Łazien b w Al. UJAZDÓW kowska P k J o i s l. E c s A O k Pakulskich ół W Rondo 7 g House in the Square, knownk as the house ci O • Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury in 1953, when archaeologists uncovered the remains of the i O ja w i e y D e D z e r U i g h P g o L S.Sedlaczka G . I

L o c y I k i o M w k E - w s c E R I i c A L w Ś e . G e r L K e A Filtry w of the Dukes of Mazovia d i Nauki) (entrance at Emilii Plater Street) Mazovian rulers, it turned out that they did not look frail at all. a e M

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pl. Al. Radiowej C R w wiejska 8 . Zakroczym Street (ul. Zakroczymska) – northern partpl. of Al. Wyzwolenia Zamek • Rynek Starego Miasta Janusz, in particular, had a bulky, muscular physique, with a L I A i J. Kusoc Politechniki pl. e ińskiego a Ujazdowski Trójki Zbawiciela c W

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the Zakroczym Route (Trakt Zakroczymski)o (Old Town Market Square) 19/21/21a protruding chest and a so-called “double backbone”. z e a e t A i sona s 1 M Współczesnej Filtrow k r a a m k l .

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2 THREE CROSSES SQUARE exploring the castle along the designated routes. The cel- The hut of the three hermits lars, where museum classes are now held for students, Warsaw in the era of Dukes Mazovia are part of the duke’s Palace (Curia Maior) erected in the early 15th century by Duke Janusz the Old. It was a rect- The name Three Crosses Square (Plac Trzech Krzyży) angular brick structure, whose south-eastern corner tow- derives from three legendary hermits who lived there at ered over a massive slope. The western façade featured a time when what is now Warsaw was an impenetrable shallow, ogival cavities crowned with ornamental detail. forest. Duke Siemowit I once reportedly witnessed the hermits help animals. When asked why they were doing it, they said life is empty if you Royal Castle in Warsaw – Museum. The Residence do not help others. The duke of and the Commonwealth. then decided to help the Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square) 4 virtuous men by sending www.zamek-krolewski.pl them an array of gifts. The chancel in the Church of St. Anna However, this brought has retained its Gothic features to this day. misfortune on them. Robbers, thinking that the duke was hiding his St. John’s Cathedral, the tomb of the last treasures in the forest University Church of St. Anna, Dukes of Mazovia: Janusz III and Stanisław hut, attacked and killed ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 68 the hermits.

1 JAZDÓW At a time when Mazovia was not yet part of Poland and the dukes’ messengers Brother-in-law murdered One of the crosses in the square, which commemorates the Ujazdów Calvary, from Czersk were more common in Warsaw than established by King Augustus II the Strong royal messengers from Krakow, today’s Krakows- Near today’s Ujazdów Castle, there was a hunting man- kie Przedmieście was known as Przedmieście or belonging to the Dukes of Mazovia dating back to the Czerskie. It was part of Mazovia’s most important 13th century. On 24 June 1262, it became the site of route, the Zakroczym Route, which connected the tragic events. Lithuanian and Ruthenian troops, led by two most important centres of power in the duchy: , invaded Mazovia and entered the fortified city 3 CHURCH OF ST. ANNA Czersk and Płock. The City Tower – the oldest brick structure in the in which the then-ruler of Mazovia Siemowit I, the son of Bernardine monks in Warsaw Royal Castle Konrad of Mazovia, was staying with his son Konrad II. The invaders killed Siemowit I in front of little Konrad and captured the child. Another twist to the story is the fact that The church was founded by Duchess Anna Feodorovna, During the reconstruction of the castle in the years 1971- Siemowit was most likely killed by Shvarn, the Duke of the daughter-in-law of Janusz the Old and mother of Duke 4 ROYAL CASTLE 1974, the façade overlooking the Grand Courtyard was , who was his wife’s brother. Bolesław IV. She also brought the Bernardine monks from Residence of the Dukes of Mazovia recreated in a way that most closely resembled the orig- Krakow to the church. The church was consecrated in inal Gothic façade of the Grand Court. The castle com- December 1454, a few months after the tragic death of plex also included two other buildings: the Curia Minor, her son, following which the duchess ruled in Mazovia on The oldest residence of the dukes was a wooden court which was the residence of the Mazovian duchesses, and Ujazdów Castle was built in the former village of behalf of her young grandsons. The tombstone of another erected on the site of today’s castle, and the first brick the Palatium, where the duke’s chancery was located. In Jazdów. That era is commemorated in Duchess Anna, the mother of the last Dukes of Mazovia, building was the City Tower, preserved to this day on the August 1526, following the death of the last Dukes of Ma- the address of the residence, ul. Jazdów 2. originally graced the church interior. It was commissioned cellar and ground floor levels. The Gothic cellars were also zovia and upon the arrival of King Sigismund the Old in The castle now houses the Centre by her son Stanisław and unfortunately has not survived built during the dukes’ . However, much like the inte- Warsaw, the Warsaw castle became known as the Royal for Contemporary Art, www.csw.art.pl to the present day. rior of the City Tower, they cannot be accessed by tourists Castle.

8 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 9 There is a bear sculpture at the entrance 7 HOUSE OF THE DUKES to the Jesuit Church adjacent to St. John’s OF MAZOVIA Warsaw in the era of Dukes Mazovia Cathedral. It is believed that one of the dukes, Pagan customs in central Warsaw owing to his physique known as the Bear, turned to stone when he saw his beloved marry a differ- ent man. The house located on the corner of the Old Town Square and Narrow Danube Street (ul. Wąski Dunaj) is known as the house of the Dukes of Mazovia. There is a sto- ry about how the house came to be. Legend has it that during the construction process, which was proving to be exceptionally challenging, Duchess Danutė of , a Lithuanian raised in the pagan tradition, decided to turn to animal sacrifice in an effort to speed up the works. She ordered the chief bricklayer to capture a black cat and bury it alive in the foundations of the house. The works The Royal Well in Traugutt Park. then moved forward quickly and the house was completed shortly thereafter. is now Traugutt Park, there is a potable water well The restored façade of the former court known as the Royal Well. Legend has it that when of Duke Janusz as seen from the courtyard Duke Siemowit I got lost in the woods on a hunting of the Royal Castle trip, a golden-antlered deer led him to a water spring located in that very spot. The spring soon became

Warsaw in the era of Dukes Mazovia Warsaw famous for its crystal-clear waters. Water from the 5 ST. JOHN’S CATHEDRAL spring was enjoyed in Warsaw’s foremost homes, the Resting place of the rulers of duke’s court and the . In the 18th century, Eastern Mazovia King Stanisław August ordered a water tower to be built over the spring.

The cathedral was erected in the second half of the The façade of the cathedral only resembles 14th century in place of a wooden church. Its crypt is the Gothic style – there is a concrete structure BEAUTIFUL MERMAID OR SCARY home to the tombs of Duke Janusz and his grandson underneath the brickwork. HARPY: WHAT IS WARSAW’S REAL Bolesław IV. In the side aisle, you will find the only COAT OF ARMS? original tombstone of the Dukes of Mazovia, the sar- The oldest known representation of Warsaw’s cophagus of Duke Stanisław and Janusz III, commis- 6 CITY WALLS coat of arms is found on the seals on the docu- sioned by their sister, Anna (pictured on page 8). After Warsaw Fortress Was a black cat really buried ments of the City Council from 1400 and 1402. the death of her brothers, when she became the only in the house’s foundations? They are currently deposited with the State Ar- living descendant of the Mazovian Piasts, Anna had to chive in Toruń. The triangular coat of arms depicts rely on the financial support of the king of Poland, Si- To improve the city’s defensive capabilities, in the mid- a creature with a curly-haired human head, a hu- gismund the Old. The treasure vault of the duchy was 14th century, the earth rampart was replaced with brick 8 ZAKROCZYM STREET man torso that morphs into a bird torso and a long, almost empty and her brothers had even sold their sis- walls. The next stage in the construction of the city walls Northern part of the Zakroczym Route snake-like tail and clawed paws. Add wings to ter’s jewels before they died. came during the reign of Duke Janusz I the Old. Erect- complete the image and what you have is a crea- ed in stages, the walls closing off the town covered an ture that is more like a harpy, known from Greek area of more than 8.5 hectares. They had a full length Zakroczym Street (ul. Zakroczymska) is part of the mythology, than the mermaid seen on statues that (along Podwale and Mostowa streets and the route whose name is preserved in the name of the can be found in Warsaw. This is especially true Archcathedral Basilica Slope) of approximately 1,200 metres. Only three towns street. After New Town was established, the route given the curls featured on the coat of arms, as of the Martyrdom of St. John in Mazovia were surrounded by the city walls: Warsaw, became a frontage of the New Town Market Square. harpies were known for their beautiful hair. the Baptist in Warsaw, at ul. Świętojańska 8 Płock and Pułtusk. On the extension of Zakroczym Street, near what

10 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 11 Kuczbork Podkrajewo Wiśniewo Cieszki ŻUROMIN Grudusk 563 Okalewo Godziszewy 544 Pietrzyk Będzymin Poniatowo Kliczewo Str. Piegłowo- Kosiny Stupsk -Wieś Zakrocz Skrwilno Franciszkowo Duże Szreńsk E77 Łysakowo Puszcza Tumskie Hill (Wzgórze Tumskie) in Płock Miejska Chrapoń Strzałkowo Liberadz Stawiszyn- Morawy -Łaziska Kowalewko 616 Dąbrowa 615 Szulmierz BIEŻUŃ Ratowo Bońkowo Września Kośc. Pniewo- Regimin Blizno Mdzewo Dzbonie kr -Czeruchy 561 Radzanów W a Szczutowo 7 Szczechowo Pawłowo 541 Strzegowo- Rościszewo Giełczyn -Osada Siemiątkowo Chotum Gójsk 10 SIERPC Unierzyż CIECHANÓW 7 Borkowo Krzeczanowo Kośc. Zgagowo- -Wieś Szyjki Ościłowo Gumowo Zawidz Kośc. a Śródborze i Piaski Kisielewo Dreglin n Ligowo Gorzewo GLINOJECK y Koziebrody y d 60 Młock Ł Kraszewo a Stropkowo w r Goleszyn RACIĄŻ Ojrzeń Mochowok Luberadz S Kurówko Słupia Malużyn 560 DROBIN Bądkowo Lelice Drozdowo Gozdowo 6 Bożewo Łęg Probostwo Tupadły Gralewo Bonisław Raciążn 50 Kozłowo Galomin ica Karolinowo 60 Sochocin Cholewice Bielsk Baboszewo Szymaki Kadłubówka Cieciórki Brudzeń 540 Cieciórki 619 Duży Sędek Kołoząb Nw. Miasto Zągoty W Sikórz Gilino 567 Dzierżążnia PŁOŃSK Kamionki Góra k Świerkowo r J e z Mikołajewo Staroźreby 569 Drożdżyn a a Route of Konrad of Mazovia

. W ł o Rokicie 559 Str. n c ł Goślice Joniec a 555 Biała Rogowo Siedlin a w 568 Ciółkowo Nw. S s k Sarnowo – Western Part i Maszewo Duże 567 Szczytno Dobra e Radzanowo 562 PŁOCK 50 Wichorowo 571 Bulkowo Karolinowo Brwilno Dln. 5 Blichowo 570 Sosenkowo 571 Przyborowice Krysk Let us take you on a trip around Northern Mazovia, the Ramutowo Bodzanów 7 Załuski Borowiczki Bodzanów Naruszewo birthplace of the Duchy of Mazovia. This is where Duke KONRAD OF MAZOVIA 575 Dzierżanowo Janowo Słupno 4 Konrad established his first fortified cities. The capital of Konrad of Mazovia (1187/1188–1247), who was regard- Dobrzyków 570 Kroczewo the Duchy was Płock, which to this day has the highest ed by his contemporaries as a brute and a tyrant, and Lucień Kobylniki E77 number of monuments related to the history of the Dukes went down in history as the man who brought the Teutonic Łąck W Mł. Wieś i 62 Przybójewo 1 of Mazovia. The Vistula River was the main route for the Knights to Poland, laid the foundation for a strong Duchy sł Kępa ZAKROCZYM S7 a Chylin Brody Duże Polska Rębowo Chociszewo 62 Goławin transport of goods at the time. One time, even a pontoon of Mazovia, which survived for as many as three hundred Zdwórz 577 574 Wymyśle- GOSTYNIN 565 Nw. bridge was floated down the river. The pontoon bridge years. By bringing in the Teutonic Knights, he protected -Pole 2 Grochale 899 573 Czerwińsk 575 Leoncin was the secret weapon of King Władysław Jagiełło and the northern border of Mazovia against attack by the Prus- GĄBIN WYSZOGRÓD 3 n. Wisłą Szczawin Studzieniec Słubice Nw. Cybulice Duże Kośc. 574 Łady Przęsławice Secymin it allowed the Polish army, supported by the Mazovi- sians, who had ravaged the area in the past. Mazovia’s Sierakówek Konstantynów Januszew Kamion an knights, to cross the Vistula River, take the Teutonic northern border with the Teutonic Order, finally established Czyżew 575 I TułowiceI I I I I 1 Zakroczym – city with a history dating back to the I I Knights by surprise and secure a brilliant victory in the in the mid-14th century, lasted longer than the Duchy of I I I Sanniki Iłów I I I I I Brochów I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 579 Suserz I I I I I I I I I I I I I 583 I

11th century and the site of the Vistula River crossing I Battle of Grunwald. The bridge was assembled in Czer- Mazovia and the State of the Teutonic Order. The same I I I I I I I Janówek Wszeliwy I I I I Młodzieszyn I I I I 573 Pacyna I I I Czerwińsk – Romanesque abbey church and I I wińsk,I at the foot of a Romanesque church which survives border separated Poland from Prussia as late as before 2 705 I I I Osmolin 577 I pontoon bridge Giżyce Łazy to this day. the Second World War. While they played a negative role Skrzeszewy Luszyn 584 Janów Julinek Oporów 3 Wyszogród – castle onKiernozia the Vistula River Slope 580 In this part of Mazovia, it is worth visiting the sites of for- in Poland’s history, the Teutonic Knights did bring consid- 50 Żelazowa Kampinos Bodzanów – more than 600 years of tradition Wola mer watchtowers of the Duchy. You can see Mazovia’s erable improvements to Mazovia: cities were established 4 Rybno ŻYCHLIN Czerniew Karsznice a P r ta 5 Płock – the capital of Western Mazovia Rozlazłów Ut OŻARÓWmost MAZ. precious -era tombstone, in a style under Teutonic law and churches were built in the Teu- r Dobrzelin z Paprotnia 6 Drobin –y Michelangelo’s legacy reminiscent of Michelangelo’s, and wonder at a mysteri- tonic style. The Teutonic State also offered loans to help 583 s Kocierzew Pd. SOCHACZEW Wojszyce o Mastki 92 Bedlno 7 Sierpc – Mazovianw churches and castles P Niepokalanów ous pagan symbol preserved, of all places, in the wall of boost trade in Mazovia. a Chąśno Str. is Boża BŁONIE i Krzyżanów Płaskocin Dębsk a Wola a . ra Nw. Jeżówka 579 Bąków Goleńsko zu Sucha Kaski B 50 Dln. Zduny Małszyce 705 Aleksandrów Czerwona- MILANÓWEK 12 -Niwa The Dukes of Mazovia Route 13

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1 ZAKROCZYM Other important decisions were also made in Zakroczym. 2 CZERWIŃSK structure is a three-aisle basilica with two towers, a Watchtower on the Vistula River It was in Zakroczym that Duke Janusz the Old announced Secrets of the Romanesque abbey transept and a chancel. The main aisle was connected Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western Part a set of laws for the Mazovian lands, and that is where to the side aisles by semi-circular apses. Preserved in Mazovian assemblies (sejmiki) were held. the vestibule is a unique Romanesque portal from the Zakroczym is located on a high bank of the Vistu- Dragons and sword marks on the Romanesque portal, mid-12th century. The portal used to mark the path of la River, in some places up to 25 metres high, with Zakroczym’s fortresses a mysterious tombstone, the Knights Templar and the entry to the church. The vestibule was added at a later picturesque gorges along the river. The city’s coat of secret weapon of King Władysław Jagiełło, used in stage. The portal was partly restored in the 20th century. arms commemorates events that took place in Zak- In the north-eastern part of town, on Czubajka Hill, archae- Czerwińsk, which allowed for a true Blitzkrieg by the Also preserved are the original doors with Romanesque roczym when Mazovia was ruled by dukes. ologists uncovered the Duchy’s watchtower. The fortified army led by the king... The Romanesque abbey still fittings and the dents in the portal above the door, which, city existed from the 11th century until the 14th century holds a number of mysteries. according to legend, first appeared after Jagiełło and Vy- Legend has it that when brave knight Junosza was on the and is believed to have been named Czuwatka. Anoth- tautas tried to sharpen their there before going to way to his own wedding, a white lamb crossed the path er, now non-existent, Zakroczym stronghold that existed A jewel of battle with the Teutonic Knights. of the wedding procession. The knight took it as a good during the era of the Dukes of Mazovia was the castle. The south chapel retains portions of the frescoes, pre- omen and, as it soon turned out, he was right. The wed- 17th-century images depict wooden buildings lining the The Romanesque Church of Annunciation to the Blessed sumed to date back to the first half of the 13th century, ding procession then encountered Teutonic troops. Brave rectangular courtyard. The only thing that has survived Virgin Mary was a very important place for the Duchy of when Mazovia was ruled by Duke Konrad of Mazovia. The Junosza slaughtered are the historic cellars, over which a contemporary manor Mazovia. This is evidenced by the favours granted to it by preserved fragments depict a scene from the Last Judg- all of the brethren and, house was built. many of its dukes, starting with Konrad of Mazovia. ment. It is the largest collection of Romanesque frescoes still covered in the en- The now-700-year-old market square used to feature a Despite numerous reconstructions, the church has re- in Poland. Other parts of the church feature portions of emy’s blood, arrived well, available for use by travellers journeying along the tained its Romanesque features and Gothic, Renaissance and -era paintings. at the altar to meet Zakroczym Route. There are plans to restore the well’s remains one of the most unique his bride. In honour of superstructure. Also located in the market square is the monuments in Poland. The Pontoon bridge this feat, Zakroczym Gothic Church of Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which har- cut-stone Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Western Part Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western was given a coat of kens back to the times of Mazovia’s greatness. The most important event in the history of Czer- arms of a white lamb wińsk took place in the summer of 1410, against a blood-red when, at the foot of the Romanesque background. church, one of the most striking www.zakroczym.pl structures in mediaeval Europe was Zakroczym’s coat of arms

The route that connects Czersk and Płock owes its name to Zakroczym, the site of Teutonic Knights in Zakroczym the Vistula River crossing. It was located near what is now a bridge on national road 7. After Is there some truth to the story? The Teutonic Knights did crossing the river and before arriving in Zakroc- in fact reach Zakroczym, but for non-military reasons. In zym, travellers were faced with a challenging June 1335, in Zakroczym’s main square, the great-grand- temptation, the Utrata (Ruin) Inn, whose name sons of Konrad of Mazovia, Dukes Siemowit II and his stems from the fact that time spent at the inn had brother Trojden, renewed the agreement with the Grand led many a traveller to financial ruin. Today, it is Master of the Teutonic Order, Dietrich von Altenburg. one of the most scenic beaches on the Vistula The alliance ensured that Mazovia would be protected River. The route from Utrata to Zakroczym runs against... Poland. The dukes feared that King Casimir the along picturesque gorges. The proximity of Zak- Great, who was consolidating the Polish lands after the roczym’s market square was heralded by the sight feudal fragmentation, would try to forcefully annex Mazo- of two hills separated by a narrow path. Atop one via as well. Should the king attempt a military effort, the of the hills was the Czuwatka watchtower, while Teutonic Knights would fight against him on Mazovia’s on the other – the Church of St. Barbara. Czerwińsk Abbey side.

14 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 15 erected. Boats were floated down the river from Kozienice, 3 WYSZOGRÓD example of King Casimir the Great, he helped transform and then connected by a shared deck. Thus a pontoon Castle on the Vistula River Slope the architecture in his duchy from wood to brick. He also Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western Part bridge was formed which enabled speedy crossing for focused on consolidating the laws and divided the state the troops led by King Władysław Jagiełło on their way to into new administrative units called lands. Wyszogród was battle the Teutonic Knights. In Czerwińsk, Jagiełło’s troops The town’s name means “high town” and dates back the capital of one of these. joined forces with the Mazovian units led by Duke Janusz to a time when Konrad of Mazovia had a fortified the Old, and with Lithuanian and Ruthenian troops, who watchtower built on a tall embankment on the Vistula Mysterious receptacle at the Vistula had been secretly brought over by Duke without River, known today as Castle Mountain. River Museum alerting the Order’s spies. Before attacking the Teutonic Knights, the military forces were concentrated in areas The convenient location on the Vistula River ensured Monuments uncovered by archaeologists on Castle Hill controlled by Janusz, Duke of Mazovia, who had a sov- the city’s growth. The city had a port and traded in cloth, can be seen at the Vistula River Museum. The collections ereign foreign policy, even though he had paid homage to grain and wood products. The Dukes of Mazovia lived in also include exhibits related to boat building and fishing the King of Poland. Wyszogród from the 13th century. In 1313, Wyszogród near the Vistula River, and there is also a unique clay re- The bridge allowed Jagiełło to administer a blow to the very witnessed the death of a grandson of Konrad of Mazovia, ceptacle found by archaeologists in the village of Drwały, heart of the Teutonic State, where the Teutonic Knights Duke Bolesław II. After his passing, the duchy was divided a settlement existing before Wyszogród was established. were not expecting to be targeted. The structure, support- into three provinces. The receptacle dates back more than 1,300 years and ed on 150 boats, only took half a day to assemble in Czer- A testament to the dukes’ legacy is the religious complex contains a schematic representation of pagan god Perun – wińsk. The army marched for three days (from 30 June to The capital of a Romanesque column built for the . The church, initially in a Gothic a lightning-casting horseman. 3 July 1410), during which time the river was crossed style, was erected in 1406 with the funding provided by Later in 2015, an ecomuseum and an observation deck by 18,000 horsemen, 4,000 infantry and 8,000 supply wagons. The entire operation went very smoothly and Duke Janusz I. Unfortunately, the castle erected in the will be built on Castle Hill so that visitors can admire the took the Teutonic Knights by surprise. After the army had second half of the 14th century did not survive. Its walls stunning panorama of the southern bank of the Vistula passed over it, the bridge was floated down the river to were uncovered by archaeologists on Castle Mountain. River and Czerwińsk Abbey. Another attraction offered in Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Western Part Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western Does Czerwiński Abbey house the tomb today’s , where the troops returning from Wyszogród is a water taxi cruise on Poland’s largest river. of Duke Konrad II? Relying on earlier ac- Grunwald crossed the river again. The cruises are organised by the Vistula River Museum. counts, Jan Długosz wrote that the duke died in June 1294 and was buried in Czerwińsk. In the Mystery of the Knights Templar 1950s, a mysterious tombstone was discovered in the church. The tombstone is now displayed in the The Order’s records mention the arrival in Czerwińsk of a www.wyszogrod.pl north chapel. The figure presented on the tomb- massive fleet under the flag of the Knights Templar. The Vistula River Museum, ul. Rynek 1 stone is very blurry. All you can see is her outline fleet arrived in Czerwińsk after the dissolution of the Or- www.tramwajwodny.wyszogrod.pl/ and her headgear, which may just as easily be an der and execution of its Grand Master by King of France muzeum-wisly abbot’s mitre and a knight’s helmet. None of the Philip the Fair. The King wanted to find the treasure of the original tombstones of the Dukes of Mazovia sur- Knights Templar but he never did. As a result of grants Receptacle with an image of Perun vive today except for the sarcophagus of the last from the Dukes of Mazovia, the Knights Templar were from the Vistula River Museum collection Dukes, Janusz III and Stanisław, which is located known to have three commanderies in Mazovia. One of 4 BODZANÓW in the Cathedral of St. John in Warsaw. The others them was located on the bank of the Bug River in Wysz- 600 years of tradition. were destroyed over the years. If the Czerwińsk ków. What was the purpose for the arrival of the Knights Who built the castle in Wyszogród? tombstone was in fact the tombstone of Duke Templar in Czerwińsk? The Order’s records note that the Konrad, this would most certainly be a sensational Teutonic Knights were provided room and board by the Until recently, the construction was credited to King Casimir A testament to the city’s rich history is the square laid discovery. However, the majority of the archaeolo- abbot, for which he was generously compensated. Is this the Great, who, in the 14th century, incorporated part of Ma- out by the Dukes of Mazovia in 1351, along with the gists seem to favour the theory that it is the tomb- where they left some of their treasures? This mystery has zovia into Poland for 20 years. Archaeologists verified this historic Gothic church and a tradition that has been in stone of one of the abbots of the Czerwińsk mon- yet to be solved. theory. However, according to the latest findings, the castle place for 600 years now. astery, and the duke himself, while he did die in in Wyszogród was most likely erected by Duke Siemowit III, the abbey, was in fact buried in Warka. who is considered to be the greatest ruler among the On the Mołtawa River, at the foothills of the market square Dukes of Mazovia. Siemowit consolidated Mazovia, divid- established on a tall slope, lies the border that separated www.czerwinsk.pl ed by his grandfather, Bolesław II, and drawing from the Mazovia for 150 years. In the west lay the Duchy of Płock,

16 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 17 ALTAR OF OUR LADY OF MAZOVIA, THE ruled by the descendants of Duke Siemowit IV, whereas in CATHEDRAL’S PATRON SAINT One of the oldest altars in the cathedral, completed the East was the Duchy of Czersk and Warsaw, controlled CAPITAL OF THE DUCHY, in the first half of the 17th century The image of by King Janusz I and his heirs. Bodzanów owes a tradition THE CITY OF PŁOCK Madonna with Child has been revered for many generations. Above it, there is a inscription that has been in place for 600 years now to Duke Janusz. The name inscribed on the signpost at the that reads: Monstra te esse Matrem (Show yourself to be a mother). Numerous votive offerings indicate In 1415, he established a fair. This fair is still town threshold is not related to the Dukes of worship of the Virgin Mary. held to this day, and every year the market is visited by Mazovia, but to the reign of Duke Władysław CHAPEL OF THE MOST BLESS- merchants, craftsmen and also knights. The dukes’ lega- Herman and his son Bolesław Wrymouth, who ALTAR OF THE SACRED ED CHANCEL HEART OF The central part of the chapel The Neo-Renaissance main altar was designed by Szyller and cy is also commemorated by a 15th-century brick church went down in history for dividing Poland into The statue of Christ and features a Neo-Renaissance altar completed in tahe early 20th century. Please note the choir stalls kneeling saints: Dominic with a tabernacle, completed in flanking the altar and the bishop’s throne, together with the gilded located in the main square. It is an aisleless church, en- provinces. After dividing the country among and Margaret Mary 1900 with the use of multicoloured throne chair, which is considered to be a masterpiece. The walls Alacoque were carved out marble and gilded bronze. feature multicoloured polychromes depicting scenes from the life closed on three sides, without a designated chancel. The his sons, Zbigniew and Bolesław III Wrymouth, of Carrara marble in 1913. of the Virgin Mary. church was built with Gothic brick, using black stones and Duke Władysław Herman settled in Płock, The tympanum features a mosaic made in water wheels. retaining control of all of Poland. Thus, in the as an identical copy of the CRUCIFIXION ALTAR famous 5th-century Good The cathedral’s oldest altar completed late 11th century, Płock served as the capital. Shepherd Mosaic in 1600, which uses contrasting marble and in Ravenna. alabaster. The central part features The reminders of that era are: a segment of statues of Christ on the Cross as well as the wall of the Romanesque palace (preserved Virgin Mary and St. John. www.bodzanow.pl in the wall of what later became a castle near the Clock Tower), a statue of Duke Bolesław Wrymouth and the spectacle that can be seen 5 PŁOCK every day at noon in the Old Market Square. Capital of the Western part of When the clock strikes 12:00, the figure of the Duchy of Mazovia Duke Władysław Herman appears in the city hall tower and knights his son Bolesław Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Western Part Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western Wrymouth. The historic centre of Płock is marked by Tumskie Hill. This is where the city’s history began in the 10th cen- CHAPEL OF ST. SIGISMUND Altar designed by Szyller, made of multi-coloured tury, when erected his fortress on the high marble in 1913. Above it is a stained-glass window depicting St. Sigismund – king, martyr, patron hill overlooking the Vistula River. It is likely that on Where the Dukes of Mazovia saint of Płock and the cathedral, made in 1956. The chapel was destroyed during a bombing in Tumskie Hill, the rebel Miecław ruled for a short period are buried September 1939. of time. He was a self-appointed ruler of Mazovia, who

tried to establish an independent pagan state. It was The first cathedral in Poland was erected in 1144. Over ALTAR OF ST. STANISŁAW KOSTKA An early-Renaissance altar completed in the early 20th century. there that Duke Władysław Herman ruled Poland and the years, it was destroyed by invaders and disasters on The bas-relief in the centre depicts the vision of Madonna with from the time of Konrad of Mazovia, Tumskie Hill was many occasions. Reconstructed after each and every Child that appeared to the ailing Stanisław. the residence of the Dukes of Mazovia. one of these, it is now a mixture of various architectural ORGAN styles. The church houses a copy of the famous bronze The cathedral organ was built in 1907 for the Płock door, the original of which was created in the Evangelical church in Sorau (currently: Żary). The decision to move it to Płock Cathedral was made mid-12th century. in 1953. The Żary instrument was installed in place of the old Płock organ, which was destroyed Płock Cathedral is the largest resting place for the Mazovi- in a fire during World War II. The move and assembly was overseen by organ master Dominik an rulers, and it documents nearly 250 years of sovereign Biernacki, who reconstructed a number of the rule in Mazovia. Sources state that the following figures mechanism’s missing components.

were laid to rest in the crypt of Płock Cathedral: Konrad POLYCHROME ROYAL CHAPEL PŁOCK CATHEDRAL DOOR The concept of the polychrome dates back of Mazovia (died in 1247), his grandson Bolesław II and The chapel is located under the north tower. The door was crafted in the mid-12th century in Magde- to the early 20th century. Never before had great-grandson Wenceslaus of Płock, known as Wańko, It is the final resting place of the rulers of burg and intended for the cathedral in Płock. The original the walls of the cathedral been covered Poland and numerous Dukes of Mazovia. The door is housed at the Holy Wisdom of God Cathedral in with paintings. The artist was Władysław his son Bolesław III, as well as another great-grandson remains of Władysław Herman and Bolesław , Russia. Płock Cathedral is home to an Drapiewski, and he worked on the polychrome Wrymouth are housed in a black marble tomb identical copy of the door, which was officially consecrat- prior to , during the interwar period of Konrad of Mazovia, Siemowit III, his brother Casimir adorned with an alabaster and royal ed in 1982. The timing or circumstances of the removal and after World War II. insignia, while their ashes have been placed of the original door have not been explained, but this Interior of the cathedral basilica in Płock – view from and sons Siemowit IV and Henry, who was the bishop of underneath the chapel’s flooring. is not the only mystery surrounding it. Each part of the the chancel door illustrates the Story of Salvation, so why is there an Płock Cathedral Płock. Also buried there were the sons of Siemowit IV: image of a centaur, admittedly unrelated to Christianity, in the bottom left-hand corner?

18 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 19 Castle or former abbey building? MAZOVIAN KNIGHTS In Western Mazovia, there remained, or are he became famous as the first pilgrim from Mazovia to Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western Part Płock Castle was built by King Casimir the Great. In the mentioned in literature, knights’ residences and settle- journey to the shrine of the apostle St. James in Santi- mid-14th century, he incorporated the western part of ments established not only by the dukes themselves ago de Compostela. Sierpc’s later owners, the Sierps- Mazovia into Poland for 20 years. He took over in 1350, but also by their knights. It was Mazovian magnates ki family, were castellans, starosts and voivodes. After after the heirless death of the Duke of Płock, Bolesław III. who built the castles in Sierpc and the fortified tow- the annexation of Mazovia by Poland, the most prom- The area was reinstated to Mazovia after the king’s er in Drobin, which was recently tracked down by inent member of the family, Andrzej, became a trusted death in 1370. Casimir had promised to return it to archaeologists. The magnates left behind magnifi- member of the court of King Sigismund the Old, and Duke Siemowit III, the then-ruler of Eastern Mazo- cent tombstones in the Drobin parish church, built a served as a flag bearer at his funeral. Drobin’s own- via, if he did not have a male heir. Though married fortified settlement in Bieżuń, which today boasts an ers, the Kryskis, were castellans and voivodes for the four times, the king never had a son. He was the last 18th-century manor of the Zamoyski family, and built Dukes of Mazovia, and after Mazovia was annexed by member of the royal branch of the Piasts, and after his the castle in Szreńsk. Poland, they had important roles in the Jagiellonian death the Polish throne was taken over by King Louis of The first owner of Sierpc was Jaśko Pilik, a knight court. A similar career path in the court of Jagiełło’s Hungary. also known as Mazur and mentioned by Henryk Sien- descendants was followed by the Szreńskis, the own- Two towers survive from the former castle: the Noble- kiewicz in his novel Teutonic Knights. He received ers of Szreńsk, which, in the Middle Ages, was the men’s Tower (Wieża Szlachecka) and the Clock Tower Sierpc as an offering from Duke Siemowit IV. Together capital of one of the lands comprising the Duchy of (Wieża Zegarowa), as well part of the walls. The remnants with another of the duke’s knights, Abraham Socha, Mazovia – the Land. are not even referred to as a castle but merely as a former The Płock – according to one theory, this is the crown of Konrad of Mazovia abbey building. In the 16th century, the castle became the seat of a Benedictine order, and after the partitions of Po- goblet were the duke’s votive offerings to Płock Cathe- Casimir II and Władysław I, as well as the latter’s sons: land it was converted into a seminary. dral for the murder of Canon Czapla. The canon, who 6 DROBIN Siemowit VI and Władysław II, and the last duke to rule in Housed in one of its wings is the Museum of the Diocese had raised his sons, offended Konrad by forcing Casimir Michelangelo’s legacy Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Western Part Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western the Płock Land, before it was annexed by Poland in 1495 (ul. Tumska 3), which brings together the most valuable to conduct a policy that conflicted with the interests of in the heart of Mazovia – Janusz II. Half of the dukes who ruled Mazovia were monuments associated with the Dukes of Mazovia: a gold his father. One remarkable case of misconduct involved buried in Płock. Where should we look for their tombs? paten and goblet, founded by Konrad of Mazovia and Duchess Agafia, who ordered the body of the dead In the 19th century, explorers entered the crypt of Płock a Płock diadem, which is considered a crown by some canon to be re-hanged. Because of this, a spell was In 1444, when King Władysław of Varna was killed Cathedral in search of the remains of Bolesław Wrymouth historians. The paten features Konrad himself, his wife cast over the Duchy. In order to have it annulled, Kon- in the battle of Varna, and Mazovia was still a vast and his father Władysław Herman. They reportedly iden- Agafia, and their two sons, Casimir (father of Władysław rad had to give the Łowicz Land to the archbishops of duchy, but one that was feudally dependent on Po- tified Bolesław because of his disfigured nose. The the Elbow-High) . land, Drobin became the property of the Kryski clan. remains of the rulers who controlled and Siemowit I. The diadem that is now found on the so-called Her- It owes its major landmarks to them. all of Poland from Płock were The paten ma of St. Sigismund is made of gilded silver and transferred to a special and the composed of 14 pieces. Scholars believe that it Drobin was bought by Ninogniew Kryski, an important fig- sarcophagus that can was intended for rulers from the Arpad dynasty, ure of the duke’s court, the castellan of Czersk and War- now be viewed at the and Konrad of Mazovia took possession of it in the 13th saw, and later the voivode of Płock. He served the last Royal Chapel. At that century. It is the oldest preserved Polish crown. The Di- role during a time when the Duchy of Mazovia was in crisis time, the remains of ocese Museum also took possession of the Płock Bible and part of Western Mazovia, minus the Płock Land, was the Dukes of Mazo- from the 12th century. annexed by Poland. via were also discov- His son Jan, the Płock canon, founded a church in the main ered. They were not square in Drobin. However, he encountered some problems provided a separate with the construction process. Sources claim that in order sarcophagus. Instead, to complete the church, he had to break off the agreement they were placed under www.turystykaplock.eu with the first contractor, who was unable to build the vault- the flooring at the feet of Tourist Information Centre at ed ceilings, and entrusted the completion of the church Poland’s rulers. They re- ul. Stary Rynek 8 to other contractors. They performed the work faultlessly, Reconstruction of a mediaeval castle main there to this day. on Tumskie Hill tel. +48 24 367 19 44 for as we can see, the Gothic body of the church survives to this day.

20 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 21 Its interior contains some true jewels of religious architec- 7 SIERPC church. At the time, the city was divided between two ture, i.e. Renaissance-era tombstones difficult to find any- City of four churches brothers, Prokop and Feliks of Sierpc, wealthy and influ- Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western Part where else in Mazovia. They depict a distant descendant and two castles ential Mazovian knights. Archaeologists suspect that since of Ninogniew, Wojciech Kryski, an outstanding represen- one of them (Prokop) built a castle in his part of town, the tative of Polish Renaissance, the king’s envoy, a linguist other did not want to be outdone and also built a strong- and a lover of ancient culture, who died at a young age. Sierpc was a border town. The Dobrzyń Land and the hold on his side. It was supposed to resemble the royal Above the sculpture of the deceased Wojciech, the art- Chełmno Land were located on the west bank of the tower in Piotrków Trybunalski. Archaeologists tracked it ist has portrayed his mourning parents, Paweł and Anna. Skrwa River, which runs near the town. The Chełm- down when they discovered the 500-year-old foundations The other side of the altar features similarly executed no Land, although it originally belonged to Konrad of during work on a building known as Kasztelanka. representations of the last members of the Kryski lineage: Mazovia, was soon captured by the Prussians. When Stanisław, Małgorzata and Piotr. Konrad handed it over to the Teutonic Knights, he The older tombstone appears to imitate the tombstone was no longer its rightful owner. Since the arrival of made by Michelangelo for Julius II. The prototype the first knight-monks dressed in white mantles with Monastery in Sierpc www.sierpc.pl made by the Italian master is located in ’s Church black crosses on them in 1228, it became the birth- We recommend visiting the of Pietro in Vincoli. Did someone in Drobin copy the place of their state. The most valuable historic object in the church is the Goth- Mazovian Village Museum located in Sierpc work of the great Renaissance-era sculptor, who went ic sculpture of Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus from the late www.mwmskansen.pl down in history as the creator of the Last Judgment, or The churches of Sierpc 14th century, known as Our Lady of Sierpc. It is situated did Michelangelo himself visit Mazovia at some point? on the main altar and unveiled for each service. It is the The Drobin tombstone uses a similar layout, and the fig- Located along Mazovia’s border, Sierpc is one of the re- oldest, continuously-revered religious site in Mazovia. In the area ure of Anna Kryska, Wojciech’s mother, is preserved with gion’s oldest towns. The surviving Church of St. Vitus, St. Two other churches in Sierpc were also in existence SZREŃSK the same gesture as the woman depicted on the Pope’s Modest and St. Crescentia on Farna Street is not the first during the Duchy of Mazovia era: the 15th-century Church tombstone. She also has a man’s leg, copied from the legs church to be located there. Although the single-aisle Goth- of the Holy Spirit, where the unwell were tended to in Szreńsk, a town located less than 40 km away from Sierpc Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Western Part Route of Konrad Mazovia – Western of Moses, which Michelangelo carved on the tombstone ic church with a four-story tower was built in three phases the Middle Ages (Chopin Square – pl. Chopina) and the towards Mława, is home to the ruins of a palace erected of Pope Julius II. The Pope’s tombstone is not a typical from the 14th century until the first half of the 16th century, 15th-century Church of the Holy Cross (in the so-called in place of a 16th-century castle belonging to Felix of Sz- example of Italian sepulchral art. It will remain a mystery its name indicates that it may have been preceded by an Sierpc Forest), which has been in a state of disrepair for reńsk. It is also worth visiting the centre of town, with its why the tombstone, as unique and not typical of Michelan- earlier structure. The Saints: Vitus, Modest and Crescen- the past 200 years. Gothic parish church. The highlight gelo’s body of work as it was, became the inspiration for tia were worshipped in the 11th century. Afterwards, their of the church is the Pieta, the creator of the tombstone in Drobin. importance declined. Legend has it that Poland’s first The castles of Sierpc a 15th-century sculpture church was built here in 1003, at the site of pagan . characteristic of Mazovian However the theory that the church was actually built later Two castles were erected in Sierpc. We are still only aware religious art, is also supported by the Romanesque fragments discov- of the existence of one of the castles through mentions which is a ered in the walls of the chancel and a mysterious solar in historical documents. In the oldest one, dating back unique symbol carved into the wall of the tower. To this day it is to 1322, Duke of Mazovia, Wenceslaus of Płock, known monu- unclear why a symbol of a pagan cult was inscribed on as Wańko, trades lands with Bishop of Płock Florian, it is ment that the walls of a Christian church. noted that Sierpc will be surrounded by walls and a castle reflects The largest historic architectural complex in Sierpc is will be built there. However, as is often the case with con- the distinct the convent and church of the Virgin Mary located on struction projects, this one also remained on the drawing influence Mount Loret. The first wooden structure was erected board for a long time. It took nearly two hundred years for of French in 1483, at the site of an apparition experienced by the construction to be completed. Another document con- art. a young seminarian during the plague that deci- cerning the subject dates back to the mid-14th century and mated the town. He saw the Virgin Mary, who told mentions the existence of a curia in Sierpc. This, presum- him that the plague would pass if people prayed ably, means a fortified manor, and not quite a castle. The zealously. The current church was completed in latter was not established until the annexing of the Płock 1513. In the late 16th century, a sepulchral chap- Land, where Sierpc was located, by Poland (1495), and el of the founder’s granddaughter, Ursula of , was not paid for by the dukes but by Mazovian magnates Tombstone of Wojciech Kryski Pieta in the church at Szreńsk was added as an extension to the church. from the Sierpski family. It was located near the parish

22 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 23 O rz y c

545 Kanigowo Janowiec Opaleniec Krukowo Zawady Wach Zaborowo Kośc.

a Siarcza Łąka d Str. CHORZELE Brodowe i Wieś Łąki N Nw. Rembielin Ciechanów Castle Wieś Wlk. Raszujka Kadzidło R DZIAŁDOWO o Napierki z Gleba o g Krzynowłoga Rycice Parciaki a Purgałki Wieczfnia Kośc. Nw. Wlk. Baranowo Dylewo Brzozowo Małowidz O Świniary m 53 Kuklin TańskTańsk-Przedbory -Przedbory u Krzynowłoga le Mł. Gaczyska w Dzierzgowo Skierkowizna Jednorożec 616 Rataje Wólka MŁAWA Dębsk Rzęgnowo Drążdżewska Nw. Wieś Szydłówek Szydłówek Drążdżewo Szydłowo Mchowo Zabiele Str. Wlk. Podkrajewo Kępa Amelin GruduskGrudusk Węgra Wiśniewo 57 Biernaty Str. Piegłowo- 5 544 Chodkowo- Kosiny 7 -Wieś PRZASNYSZ -Kuchny Krasnosielc Rafały Stupsk CzerniceCzernice 544 BoroweBorowe Obrębiec 4 SypniewoSypniewo E77 Łysakowo Karwacz Kołaki Strzałkowo Płoniawy- Zamość 626 Golany -Bramura Sławkowo 61 w Kowalewko Morawy 616 Dobrzankowo c 617 y Gąsewo e z Poduchowne r 615 r Młynarze a Szulmierz Wola O N Regimin Wierzbowska Pniewo- Krzyżewo- Dyszobaba -Czeruchy Węgrzynowo -Jurki Wkr a Dzbonie Żbiki Route of Konrad of Mazovia Ulaski Czerwonka Pawłowo Opinogóra Włośc. RÓŻAN 7 Grn. Zaręby 60 Kołaczków Kaszewiec – Eastern Part Chotum MAKÓW MAZ. Perzanowo

CIECHANÓW 3 Orz 6 Rzewnie Ościłowo 60 Gogole Wlk. Karniewo Str. The northernmost regions of Mazovia separated Poland from in trading, and the settlements popping up around the market Gumowo Tłucznice Szelków a areas inhabited by pagan Prussians. The castles and fortified places developed into prosperous cities. Magnificent Gothic i 57 Śródborze n y Gołymin- cities that survive to this day are a reminder of the battles that churches are a vivid reminder of the golden age of northern GLINOJECK y d -Ośrodek Dzierżanowo Młock Ł Nw. Kraszewo Garnowo Przeradowo Lubiel took place in the border region. This area also saw a growth Mazovia. Duże 618 Sońsk Marianowo Luberadz Ojrzeń Lipa Malużyn Kozłówka Zambski Gromin Bądkowo Gzy Kośc. Gąsocin Szyszki Kleszewo Obryte Rząśnik VOIVODE KRYSTYN, PUŁTUSK Psary BLINDED AT THE REQUEST OF DUKE KONRAD Galomin 620 PUŁTUSK Porządzie Raciążn 150 Serock – mediaeval fortified 2 Since the beginning of the reign of Duke Konrad, the Ma- To this day it is not clear what caused the duke to act in ica Karolinowo Strzegocin Gładczyn Sochocincity and Gothic church Kacice Rządowy zovian land was continually attacked by the Prussians, a this bizarre and rather unreasonable fashion. Was it the Szymaki Szczawin 2 Pułtusk – bishops’ castle Świercze 619 Baltic tribe inhabiting the area of modern-day . allegations targeting Krystyn or the duke’s envy of the ad- Kołoząb 619 Nw. 61 Cieńsza Nw. Wielątki and Europe’s longest market square The Prussians attacked Mazovian cities and settlements, miration that the Mazovian knights gave to their voivode? Miasto Latonice Winnica 618 PŁOŃSK Maków Mazowiecki – where the burning them down and killing the people. The attackers After Krystyn’s death, his intricate defence system fell 3 Świerkowo Pokrzywnica WYSZKÓW

Drożdżyn a Zatory 619 Skorosze knightsJoniec rebelled againstn the Duchess were challenged by the Mazovian Duke’s voivode former apart and the Prussian attacks only intensified. Kon-

Siedlin a w Zdziebórz S Nw. 50 of Mazovia Dzierżenin e mentor, Krystyn. The voivode created an effective defence rad, now having to make an effort to defend Mazovia’s Sarnowo Błędostwo r Przasnysz – home of Str. a system using the fortified cities built in the northern parts northern border, was unable to stop the attacks. Neither 4 Szczytno 571 Nw. Somianka Wichorowo W Pieścirogi N 62 mediaeval craftsmanshipk 621 622 of Mazovia, such as Grudusk and Grzebsk. He was able the crusades he mounted, the Christianisation efforts he r Wierzbica ug Dobra a Popowo B

570 5 GruduskPrzyborowice – archaeologicalWola heritage Cegielnia Wola Kośc. to stop the attacks by the Prussians, which won him the funded nor the military Order of Dobrzyń he established Sosenkowo 571 Niegów Krysk site Psucka Smolana SEROCK admiration of the knights and earned him the nickname of brought any results whatsoever. Ultimately, the situation 7 Załuski 1 Kania Polska Naruszewo 6 Ciechanów – castleJanowo haunted Zabrodzie Mazovia’s Shield. in northern Mazovia and the loss of the Chełmno Land 62 Dębe Jadwisin Dąbrówka I

by the ghost of a big black dog I However, the year 1217 saw a number of tragic events, forced him to bring in the Teutonic Knights. The killing 570 Pomiechówek I Kroczewo Kikoły Narew I I S8 Kozły Kobylniki 7 Opinogóra – tragic ending to Skrzeszew I Wola the consequences of which were felt by the Polish terri- of one man sentenced the Polish territories to having a E77 I I Rasztowska I J. Zegrzyńskie 636 Przybójewo a hunting trip 631 I tory for centuries to come. Konrad of Mazovia captured neighbour that determined the policy of the country’s rul- I

WieliszewI TŁUSZCZ I Białobrzegi I 85 NW. DWÓR MAZ. I Krystyn. He captured him, had him blinded and then killed. ers for the next few centuries. ZAKROCZYM S7 I Jasienica

I I RADZYMIN 62 Nw. Kazuń I Nieporęt I Goławin I I I 634 I

Nw. I Klembów Chociszewo I LEGIONOWO I Miąse I Czerwińsk Grochale 899 I I 635

565 579 Jabłonna I I 575 630 632 I Rembelszczyzna Tuł n. Wisłą Cybulice Duże Czosnów I Czarna I I R I I z I ą Nw. I Duczki d I I za Secymin

24 I The Dukes of Mazovia Route 25

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I I 1 SEROCK horn craft. After the city was abandoned, it was used as a Mystery hiding beneath tower, which had already been in place in the city burned Watchtower where cemetery. The Chapel of St. Barbara was built there in the the castle’s courtyard down by the . The castle was rebuilt a number Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part the dukes collected tolls 17th century. Today, the hill that used to house the fortified of times. Its current look dates back to the 17th century. Its city has been turned into a scenic lookout, from which a On the hill on which the castle of the bishops of Płock is lo- mediaeval origins are confirmed by two cylindrical towers panorama of the Zegrze Reservoir can be viewed. cated, archaeologists uncovered the remnants of a wood- guarding the bridge connecting the castle with the market Serock, established opposite the confluence of the Near the fortified city, in an area that used to be a trading en fortified city whose condition was just as good as the square. Today, the castle houses Dom Polonii, famous Bug and Narew Rivers, was one of the more important settlement, a town was established and in 1417 it received more famous one in Biskupin. In Pułtusk, explorers found for the traditional Old served at the castle towns in Mazovia in the Middle Ages. Near the town town privileges from Duke Janusz I the Old. The street grid preserved structures of houses and segments of streets restaurant and for the Narew landing, offering gondola ran two important trade routes: one from Ruthenia to including the market square and city hall in the centre was paved with wooden beams. The houses had an area of tours around Pułtusk’s Old Town. (Wielkopolska) and (Po- laid out by the duke and survives to this day. up to 20 square metres, with clay threshing floors, heated morze), and the other from (Małopol- with clay furnaces. The fortified city was established in the ska) to Prussia. The Mazovian Dukes and the city res- Time flies, death is pressing... first half of the 13th century, on the site of a burnt-down idents, taking advantage of the convenient location, settlement. It was built on a high hill above the Na- benefited from trade, collecting tolls at the customs Serock is home to one of Mazovia’s most extraordi- rew River. It survived for less than 150 years. chamber. nary landmarks. Last Dukes of Mazovia: Stanisław In 1368, it was burned down by the Lithua- and his younger brother Janusz III founded a Gothic nians during one of their forays into the The settlement known as Barbarka church here, which was originally named the Church Duchy of Mazovia. After the Teutonic of St. Wojciech and is now the Church of the Annuncia- Knights helped eliminate the Prus- The customs chamber was located next to the watchtow- tion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The single-aisle church sian threat, they themselves became er, known today as Barbarka, which was built in the 11th is located on a high slope above the Zegrze Reservoir. the enemy whose attacks most often century and existed until the 13th century. The fortified The façade featured a unique solar clock with a rhyming ravaged the Mazovian territories. city was protected by wood, stone and earth fortification, inscription: Remember that time flies, death is pressing When the city was burned down, the bish- Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part and access to it was hindered by deep gorges. During and eternity awaits. This adage fits in perfectly with the ops of Płock, who owned Pułtusk, decided to have Rendering of Pułtusk Castle in the Middle Ages an excavation, archaeologists dis- life stories of the last rulers of sovereign Mazovia. Even a brick castle built in its place. It all started with a stone covered pieces of broken though the dukes founded the church, they were unable pottery and animal to ever worship at it, as it was completed after their tragic bones. The primary death and Poland’s annexation of Mazovia. In its place DUKES TO BISHOPS occupations of the there is now a new clock with the following inscription: Bishops of Płock played important roles in the was given away to be raised by a poor family. How- city’s residents Tempus Fugit (time flies). court of the Dukes of Mazovia, were actively involved ever, when the boy grew up, he proved to resemble involved agri- in the policies of the Duchy and in some cases, the his father so much that the latter reinstated him and culture, fish- dukes themselves served as bishops. offered him the office of the bishop of Płock. However, ing and Bishop Andrzej Noskowski, whose statue greets Henry was in no rush to become a priest. He fell in www.serock.pl visitors to the collegiate church in Pułtusk, was love with the sister of Vytautas, of Lithua- the to the last Dukes of Mazovia. The nia, and married her, abandoning the clergy. Nearly a founder of that collegiate church, bishop Paweł of century later, another duke decided to become bishop 2 PUŁTUSK Giżyce, was the regent when the Dukes of Mazo- of Płock. It was Casimir III, brother of Duke Konrad the The Venice of Mazovia via were minors. He served in this role at the same Red, father of the last Dukes of Mazovia. He compet- time in both parts of the Duchy: in Western Mazovia ed for the office of bishop with a candidate supported after the death of Duke Władysław I and in Eastern by the king of Poland. In order to win it, he gained The island is home to the castle of the bishops of Mazovia after the death, one year earlier, of Duke the support of Frederick III, the emperor of the House Płock, the longest market square in Europe and lined Bolesław IV. of Habsburg, and his appointment as the bishop of with picturesque tenement houses. Two kilometres Mazovia’s history also includes dukes who became Płock was approved by the Pope himself. Casimir away from Pułtusk the Narew River splits, embracing bishops of Płock. One of them was Henry, the young- was able to enjoy the hard-fought-for bishophood for the oldest part of town with its waters. Quaint bridges est son of Duke Siemowit III. The duke had his mother only nine years. He died in 1480 in Płock, where he Church of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin have been built across the Narew to connect the is- strangled as he suspected her of infidelity, and Henry is buried. Mary in Serock land with the mainland.

26 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 27 mid-16th century reconstruction effort was led by Giovan- The bell tower next to it is less than one hundred years old. the manor was not conquered, and Stanisław backed his ni Battista of Venice. The basilica houses unique utensils, It replaced an older, 16th-century free-standing bell tower mother up, the rebels accomplished their goal: Anna hand- Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part such as Gothic goblets, of which the oldest dates back to that collapsed in the 1920s. ed power over to her son. However, it was merely a formal the 1470-1480. handover, because up until her death in 1522 she had the deciding vote in all matters concerning the duchy.

www.pultusk.pl Tourist Information Centre www.makowmazowiecki.pl ul. Rynek 41 tel. +48 23 692 84 24

3 MAKÓW MAZOWIECKI The local area Pułtusk Castle Where the knights rebelled RÓŻAN against the Duchess of Mazovia The town, built at the intersection of routes from Toruń to Pułtusk’s most treasured monument and from Warsaw to Königsberg, received city The town received town privileges from Duke Janusz I. privileges in the late 14th century. In the 15th century, the Adjacent to the castle is the market square, According to legend, his head was immortalised in city was home to a castle, a bridge over the Narew River believed to be the longest in Europe. In the the town’s coat of arms. However, sceptics view it and as many as six churches. Only one of them, the Goth- Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part middle is a Gothic and Renaissance tower as the head of a man from the Highland region ic Church of St. Anna, survives to this day. The bridge is from the turn of the 15th and 16th cen- and an error on the part of heraldists who a modern-day structure and there is no trace of the castle tury. It represents the remainder of the confused Maków Mazowiecki and Maków in the area. old city hall. The 30-metre-high brick Podhalański. Corpus Christi Church in Maków Mazowiecki tower has a square base, but the body of the tower is a polygon in the upper Public bath, fairs and Gothic church sections. The seventh floor offers a The Duchess of Mazovia takes shelter panoramic view of the entire city. The residents of the mediaeval Pułtusk valued in Maków’s castle The local area The market square, opposite the cas- cleanliness. The city had public baths that also SYPNIEWO tle, is home to another one of the city’s served the court. Once a week it was used by Maków was once home to a fortified manor of the Dukes landmarks – a Gothic collegiate ba- the duke’s staff. Proceeds from the remaining of Mazovia, which did not survive. It was located close to Remnants of the mediaeval fortified city have survived in a silica founded by bishop Paweł days of its use and from the town’s textile cutting town, on the left, higher bank of the Orzyc River (near to- private property outside the city, along the approach from of Giżyce in 1449. The place went towards the development of the city, day’s Warsaw Street (ul. Warszawska)). In 1518, it was Maków. The fortified city was established at the turn of the church, rebuilt a number which also benefited from the fairs. In the late the site of a series of tragic events. The manor, where 9th and 10th century. Its existence in such distant past of times, is famous for its 15th century, three fairs were held in the Duchess Anna Radziwiłł was staying with her eldest son is supported by the silver denarius coin of Roman Em- barrel vaults adorned with city, and one of them was a three-day Stanisław, was under attack by rebellious Mazovian mag- peror Otto and his wife Adelaide, issued in 911 and found multicoloured polychrome. affair. The residents’ wealth allowed nates who had grown tired of the Duchess’s rule. After the near the city well, which was commissioned around the The painted detail consists them to found an impressive Mazovian death of her husband, Konrad III the Red, who was nearly year 915. Even though the city burned down in the 11th of several hundred stylised Gothic church. The construction of the 30 years her senior, in 1503, Anna ruled the Duchy on century, the surrounding settlements were also inhabited flower and plant bouquets Corpus Christi Church was initiated in behalf of her young sons, Stanisław and Janusz III. She during the time when the Mazovian territory was ruled by and human busts. The 1490 by Stanisław Lipnicki, the vicar was considered energetic and unyielding. When her son the dukes. Church documents mention the existence of a of Maków and canon of Płock. The Stanisław reached an age at which he could take over Church of St. Lawrence in the town, which... vanished in a City hall tower in the main square in Pułtusk church, which survived to this day, is a and the duchess did not relinquish the power, some of the hole in the ground. That may have been one of the oldest reminder of the golden age of Maków. Mazovian knights rebelled against the female rule. While churches in Mazovia.

28 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 29 4 PRZASNYSZ A MYSTERY GUEST Where was the manor of by historians to the riots that occurred in Mazovia when City of craftsmen and brewers Long ago, when today’s Przasnysz was the Dukes of Mazovia? Casimir the Restorer, son of Mieszko II, tried to placate the Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part merely a wild forest, a miller named Przasnyk lived rebellion caused by Masław, his father’s former cup-bear- on the River Węgierka, which cuts across today’s As the Dukes of Mazovia enjoyed hunting in the area’s for- er. Masław tried to establish Mazovia as an independent In the Middle Ages, Przasnysz was the third-largest town. One night, a mysterious stranger knocked ests, they used to have a hunting manor in town. Its foun- duchy based on a pagan tradition. The burning-down of city in Mazovia. It was famous for its oxen trade and on his door. He was exhausted from roaming the dations are most likely located under the current building the city in the early 13th century may be related to the for the excellent beer sold to Prussia. Przasnysz had impenetrable wilderness alone for many hours. located at ul. Świerczewo, where even after World War II destruction of the defence system for Northern Mazovia the highest number of brewers in all of Mazovia. The miller took him in, offered him bread and hon- there was a starost’s (head or governor) manor known as after the death of voivode Krystyn. ey and allowed him to stay the night, despite not Ant. The manor was to be built on the Węgierka River, in Big city, famous for knowing who the guest was. Imagine his surprise place of an old mill where miller Przasnyk, the legendary its oxen fair when the next morning armed troops appeared founder of Przasnysz, used to live. www.grudusk.com outside his door and the mysterious wanderer The city hall could not be the heart of a town famous for turned out to be Duke Konrad of Mazovia him- its beer. In the Middle Ages, in the middle of the market self. To show his gratitude, the duke knighted www.przasnysz.um.gov.pl The local area square, in place of today’s city hall built in the 17th century Przasnyk, granted him goods and to commemo- CZERNICE BOROWE and restored in 2013, there was an inn. rate his lucky rescue from Przasnysz forest, he Although, according to legend, Konrad of Mazovia had or- approved the settlement of a town named Pr- 5 GRUDUSK The enormous Gothic church, located in the middle of the dered the founding of the town, Przasnysz did not receive zasnysz, named after the miller, in that area, as Reconstructed fortress village on an artificial mound, was built around 1514, in city privileges until 1427, during the reign of Duke Janusz I recounted by a priest, Father Józef Osiecki, who place of an earlier church that existed in the 14th century. the Old. One hundred years later, the city’s nearly 700 published the story in 1880. Legend has it that the church was built where its founder houses were homes to approximately 5,000 people. The site of the mediaeval fortified city later became killed a large deer and found a golden cross between its In the market square, near the inn, was the municipal Mazovia’s first archaeological heritage site. The city antlers. Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part weigh house, later replaced by the wooden city hall that was surrounded with a palisade. It is also guarded by preceded the current city hall building. Next to it were the large figures of mediaeval warriors. The cottages The local area craftsmen’s stalls and butchers’ stalls. The city held three Two Gothic churches of mediaeval craftsmen were recreated in the city’s TAŃSK-PRZEDBORY fairs at which Przasnysz’s craftsmen sold their wares. The courtyard. various guilds brought together as many as five hundred Two of the churches in Przasnysz, both related to St. In the forest near the early mediaeval fortress, about 1 craftsmen. The atmosphere of the Middle Ages and the Stanisław Kostka, date back to the Middle Ages. The From the 9th to the 13th century, on a hill known as the kilometre away from the village, individual stones from a era of the craftsmen is revived during Gothic parish church (located at ul. św. Wojciecha), built Green Mountain (Zielona Góra), there was once a fortified mysterious burial ground have been preserved. From the the annual Old Polish Fair, held in in the late 15th century, is the oldest church in town. city that was a crucial point on the trade route from Ru- 11th to the 13th century, in many parts of Mazovia and the market square in May, and Next to the church is a free-standing bell tower from thenia towards the Baltic Sea. It was neighbouring Podlasie, on hilltops, far away from church- the exhibition at the Museum the turn of the 15th and 16th century. St. Stanisław also an important link in the es but close to towns, people buried their deceased loved of History, which is located in Kostka was baptised at that church. In the same chain of fortified structures ones in tombs whose walls were made of large boulders. the renovated city hall. church, in the north chapel adjacent to the that protected northern Burial grounds like the one in Tańsk are known among main aisle, is the final resting place of Mazovia from Prussian archaeologists as the stone-walled burial grounds of Ma- his parents, Jan – the Zakroczym invasions. The city was zovia. It is certain that no ordinary mediaeval Mazovians castellan and Małgorzata nee Krys- burned down twice: were buried there. So who was buried there? Probably not ka. The second church in Przas- the first time, in the Christians. nysz, the Church of St. James and mid-11th century, St. Anna (ul. 3 Maja) – part of the and again in the The local area monastery of the Bernardines (now early 13th century. GRZEBSK Passionists) is one of the last Goth- The fire that broke ic structures to be built in Poland. out in the mid-11th Grzebsk was home to an early-mediaeval city, one of Ma- It was founded by St. Stanisław century is linked zovia’s castellanies mentioned in the counterfeit Kostka’s brother Paweł, the cas- of 1065 as Grebesco. The rampart of the stronghold sur- Przasnysz monastery tellan of Zakroczym. Guardian of the archaeological heritage site in Grudusk vives to this day.

30 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 31 centuries ago? Janusz I, son of Duke Siemowit III, turned CONSPIRACIES, POISONINGS, was a former monastery of the Augustinians, founded by The local area the massive Gothic stronghold, established as an imitation A DRAGON AND 300 YEARS Duke Siemowit III and his wife Eufemia. Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part MŁAWA of the strongholds built by the Crusaders in the Holy Land, OF MAZOVIAN INDEPENDENCE into a residence. He built a palace known as Curia Mayor, The towers of Ciechanów Castle house the first ex- Mława was a town in the Duchy of Mazovia bordering of which only some of the cellars remain. Duke Janusz hibition about the history of the Duchy of Mazovia. www.ciechanow.pl, www.muzeumciechanow.pl lands owned by the Teutonic Order. Trials were also held was in power at a time when the Duchy of Mazovia was at On the eight stories of the castle’s towers, visitors Zamek Książąt Mazowieckich there, during which border disputes were settled. The Mu- its peak of growth and prosperity. Perhaps some of these can come face-to-face with the dukes, duchess- (Castle of the Dukes of Mazovia), tel. +48 23 672 40 64 nicipal Park (entrance on the ul. 3 Maja side) features a riches were hidden in the castle’s dungeon? es, knights, ghosts, the Teutonic Knights and the fountain that represents the legendary character, Muława, first-ever committee of inquiry in the Polish territo- a wise woman to whom the city owes its name. What the archaeologists discovered ries, appointed by King Sigismund the Old to in- 7 OPINOGÓRA in the castle’s courtyard vestigate the mysterious death of the last Duke of Tragic ending to a hunting trip Mazovia. Before undertaking the revitalisation of the castle, as a re- The exhibition in the Castle of the Dukes of Mazo- www.mlawa.pl sult of which a new building was created between the tow- via in Ciechanów is the first place in Poland where Opinogóra, famous for the Krasińskis’ palace, in ers, in place of the so-called Small House, comprehensive the 300-year history of sovereign Mazovia, from which a Museum of Romanticism is now located, is 6 CIECHANÓW archaeological efforts were carried out in the castle’s court- the time Konrad of Mazovia brought over the Teu- also the site of the tragic death of one of the Dukes Unconquered stronghold yard. While the archaeologists did not encounter any trace tonic Knights until the heirless death of the last of Mazovia. of a secret chamber with the dukes’ treasures, they did Dukes of Mazovia, is told. Films, stories, char- uncover remnants of the fortified tower and the walls of the acters and decorations from the era, as well as The history of Opinogóra dates back to the 15th century, The walls of the massive Gothic castle, built by Duke city that was located on the site of today’s castle. The city, scenes of mediaeval Ciechanów depicted in the when Duke Bolesław IV, grandson of Janusz I, had a hunt- Siemowit III, which features two towers, the east pris- and the tower – which at the time was the ultimate place of windows – all this makes a visit to the castle a true ing manor built there. Bolesław controlled the eastern part on tower and the west arsenal tower, have dominated defence – were built by Duke Konrad II, grandson of Kon- journey back in time. of the Duchy of Mazovia, with its capital in Warsaw. He Route of Konrad Mazovia – Eastern Part the skyline of the city for more than six centuries. It rad of Mazovia, nearly 100 years before the castle was carried on his grandfather’s policy of settling towns and was Mazovia’s largest stronghold, which was never built. An axe used in the construction works 700 years ago ensuring the growth of trade. He also claimed entitlement conquered as long as there were knights inside it. was found buried deep in the ground. It may have been Where the legendary figure of Ciechan to the Polish throne after the death of Władysław of Varna used to sharpen the pales used in the palisade that pre- arrived with his beloved in 1444. He was also a big fan of hunt- Black dog guarding vented access to the city. ing. During one of his trips, he came the dukes’ treasures At the time the city was built, what is now the castle in face-to-face with a large wild boar. Ciechanów was yet another stronghold: the fortress on The beast proved stronger than the According to legend, Ciechanów Castle is Farska Mountain (Farska Góra). According to legend, it duke and the young ruler died from haunted by a formidable black dog. The was established by Ciechan, a knight who fled his family the injuries sustained during the incident. dog is allegedly an evil knight whom home with his beloved, a beautiful maid named Dobronie- It is believed that the manor where Duke the duke’s alchemist turned into an ga. He chose exile because his father was forcing him to Bolesław died was located at the site of animal. Those who are not afraid marry an unattractive yet wealthy neighbour. The city was today’s rebuilt Krasiński Manor. The poet of the beast may be led by it to a built during a time when Christianity had not yet reached himself (Krasiński) paid his respects to secret chamber where many years Mazovia. It is possible that a pagan temple was located in the tragic death of the duke. He or- ago the treasures of the Dukes of the vicinity. This is partly supported by the tradition which dered a stone crucifix with a plaque Mazovia were hidden. Legend has links the name of Farska Mountain to the name of the pa- commemorating the Duke of Mazo- it that the dog may be easily found gan god Swarożyc, rather than a parish church (fara), as via to be placed at the foot of the on the second story of the western may have been concluded. Before Duke Janusz I granted hill on which the palace is located. tower, where the wall contains a piece city privileges to the settlement and designated the market of plasterwork that strongly resembles square in its present location, the area near Farska Moun- Statue to commemorate Bolesław IV a dog, including a dog’s snout, tain was the centre of Ciechanów. Surviving to this day paws and tail. are two Gothic churches: the parish Church of the Birth of Were treasures really hid- the Blessed Virgin Mary (at ul. ks. Ściegiennego) and the Reconstruction of Ciechanów Castle – the castle in the 14th century den in the castle many Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which www.muzeumromantyzmu.pl

32 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 33 N rew a Na r ew R o Gąski Str. Piątnica Poduchowna Kurpiki 64 z S Mątwica o 645 Gleba Dąbrówka z Kupiski Str. g k a w Bożejewo Kramkowo Chmielewo Baranowo Dylewo a Chlebiotki O Lelis 648 ŁOMŻA Zawady m R Grądy- 53 óż Drozdowo Sikory- u -Woniecko l Durlasy Chojny Mł. -Piotrowięta e Miastkowo Duchess Anna’s town fair in Gaczyska w Rydzewo 61 Zawady Rutki- Kobylin- Ostrów Mazowiecka 679 ć -Kossaki Borzymy Rataje Zabrodzie Szczepankowo Podgórze a Mężenin Wólka Łątczyn- G 679 Nw. Wieś -Włośc. 63 Drążdżewska Zabiele Ratowo- Wygoda Gać Pruszki Piszczaty- 544 -Piotrowo Wlk. -Piotrowięta Zabiele Olszewo- OSTROŁĘKA Kleczkowo Amelin -Borki Truskolasy- Wlk. -Lachy Rzekuń Zamość Śniadowo Biernaty 626 Nożewo Dzbenin Kołaki Krasnosielc 677 Zbrzeźnica Wiśniewo Kośc. Kulesze Rafały Troszyn Kośc. Sokoły 627 Str. Piski ZAMBRÓW Ruś Kołaki Kamianka Zamość Tyszki- Mazury Sławkowo Dzwonek -Nadbory 66 Jabłonka Gąsewo 61 w 8 Str. Kośc. 678 e Gniazdowo Głębocz Wlk. Laskowiec Poduchowne ar Suchcice Czerwin Brzóski- Młynarze N Żabin Czerwin Długobórz -Brzezińskie Str. Szumowo WYSOKIE MAZ. Krzyżewo- Dyszobaba Lubotyń 63 -Jurki Srebrna Jelonki Przeździecko- Czerwonka Goworowo Wyszomierz -Mroczki Włośc. RÓŻAN Rosochate Kośc. SZEPIETOWO Wąsewo Wlk. 60 Załuzie Prosienica MAKÓW MAZ. Kaszewiec Rząśnik Krzeczkowo Perzanowo Ponikiew Szlach. Str. rz 60 Lubiejewo Dąbrowa-

O Duża Andrzejewo -Moczydły

k Wojny Szuby-

Rzewnie S8 o Grądy Podborze r -Szlach B Plewki OSTRÓW MAZ. CZYŻEW Rogoźnia 4 Klukowo Chrzczanka Chmielewo Włośc. Wyszonki Przeradowo Nw. Biel Kośc. Lubiel Nagoszewka Zaręby Kośc. Szulborze- Karp Niegowiec ec - z Marianowo Długosiadło r 690 u Godlewo-Mierniki Kuczyn N Blochy Dybki Boguty Koce-Basie 50 k Kańkowo Rostki o 627 Pianki Obryte r Wlk. BROK B Strękowo 681 Rząśnik Porządzie Małkinia Grn. 694 8 694 Wólka Tymianki- Poręba-Kocęby Rytelska -Okunie Gładczyn Przewóz Rządowy Treblinka Nurski Malec Sadowne Prostyń Nw. Wielątki Ceranów Str. Wojtkowice Cieńsza Brańszczyk Wólka-Okrąglik Kiełpiniec 618 Szynkarzyna 50 Sokółka Moczydły- KOSÓW Sterdyń -Kukiełki Zatory WYSZKÓW LACKI Osada B 690 Kamieńczyk u Route of Duchess Anna S8 Str. Kamieńczyk U Str. g Zdziebórz go Lipki Maliszewa Perlejewo 62 sz Telaki 62 Ogrodniki cz 63 Nw. Somianka Gwizdały Stoczek- Strachów L Stoczek- Kurowice Dzierzby Włośc. and the last Dukes of Mazovia i -Osada Popowo Bug w Śledzianów i ŁOCHÓW Wrotnów Kośc. e Urle c Niegów Dybów Hołowienki Zabrodzie 62 Putkowice- -Nadlne Zawiszyn Paplin 677 Nieciecz Jabłonna- Trojany Miedzna Włośc. -Lacka In the mid 15th century, the Lithuanian territories began less Mokra Wieś Jadów Nowinki Rowiska S8 Kozły Wirów than 90 kilometres east of Warsaw. The Liwiec was the border DUCHESS ANNA RADZIWIŁŁ 636 Str. Wieś Tonkiele Wola 636 Strachówka Rasztowska Korytnica Przeździatka SOKOŁÓW PODL. Skrzeszew river. Liw Castle, built on the west bank of the river, was a (1476–1522) TŁUSZCZ Popielów WĘGRÓW Trawy 3 62 border stronghold of the Dukes of Mazovia, whereas Węgrów, Daughter of the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania, Mikołaj 634 RADZYMIN Klembów 696 Grochów Repki Miąse 50 Liw Szlach. located on the east bank of the river, while established by the Radziwiłł, aunt to Barbara Radziwiłł, she was the first 635 Roguszyn Sawice- Korczew Duczki Tuł 2 -Wieś Dukes of Mazovia, was in fact a Lithuanian town. Siedlce, Mazovian ruler not to hail from a duke’s family. Since Czarna Rz Miedzyleś Zakrzew - ąd Czerwonka Szaruty Nw. za Żyłaki located at the intersection of three regions, Mazovia, Lesser the 1503 death of her husband, Konrad III the Red, Bartków KOBYŁKA WOŁOMIN Patrykozy 697 Kowiesy Paprotnia Poland (Małopolska) and Lithuania, served as a sort of gate she almost single-handedly ruled the Duchy of Ma- Dobre Wierzbno Wyszków 634 Poświętne 637 L through which Eastern influences infiltrated Mazovia. zovia for nearly 20 years. She secured for her sons, Rudno i w Przesmyki Stanisławów ie Hołubla Cierpięta c Mokobody In the north, where the historic region of Mazovia stretched Janusz III and Stanisław, a confirmation of the he- Okuniew Goździówka Grębkow Suchożebry Kopcie Krześlin 1 Siedlce – gateway to MazoviaChrościce 696 Ogrodniki Głuchówek almost as far as today’s Białystok, wild beekeepers and tar- reditary right to the entire region of eastern Mazovia. 637 SULEJÓWEK Trzebucza 2 Liw – castle on the border of the Duchy Chodów MORDY makers inhabited the farthest corners of the wild forest. The She opposed Stanisław’s relationship with Katarzyna 638 HALINÓW Brzóze Jakubów Niwiski Golice 2 KAŁUSZYN of Mazovia A2 Broszków settlement established in the White Forest became a thriving Radziejowska and had her removed from the Mazovi- Bojmie 698 Suchodołek Góraszka Węgrów – basilica Janówand mysteriousNw. Jędrzejówmirror Koszewnica SIEDLCE town thanks to the city privileges granted to it by the Dukes of an court. This gave historians reasons to suspect that 721 3 Stojadła 92 Kotuń 1 4 Ostrów Mazowiecka – fortifiedMROZY city in Stok Mazovia. Today, Ostrów Mazowiecka has a statue of Duchess the untimely death of the Duchess was the revenge of W Wiązowna MIŃSK MAZ. Lacki Olszanka i Zamienie Grodzisk Żelków- s 801 the White Forest (Puszcza Biała) Żeliszew Podkośc. -Kol. Pióry Wlk. Anna, who helped the city grow, and a replica of the statue in Katarzyna, who was determined to enter the duke’s ł Cegłów a 711 JÓZEFÓW Białki Ujrzanów 50 Żeliszew Wola Duży the place believed to have once been a hunting manor belong- family at all costs. Rudzienko Ducka Ś Pogorzel Skórzec Zbuczyn ka Kuflew 63 Wólka r w Nw.- ing to the Dukes of Mazovia. io OTWOCK Kamienna z Opacz i 803 Przywory 2 -Krzesk e d Posiadały J e Lipiny Żebrak Duże Wiśniew KARCZEW r 802 Jeruzal KONSTANCIN- Celestynów Kołbiel Wólka Konopna Wodynie Wola -JEZIORNA Wodyńska 34 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 35 1 SIEDLCE of Mazovia and in the rulers’ family relationships. Most LIWIEC VALLEY ROUTE Gateway to Mazovia of them married duchesses hailing from Ruthenia and From Kałuszyn onwards, the Dukes of Ma- a tall slope over the Liwiec River just outside Liw. The Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia Lithuania. zovia Route overlaps the Liwiec Valley Route. It impressive 5-hectare property is often compared to Today, the city’s main landmark is an 18th-century Neo- runs along the former trade route through Grodzisk, Wawel. The beauty of the surrounding area can be ad- While Siedlce is not located in what was historically classical palace and park complex, built on the site of Liw, Węgrów all the way to Łochów. Points of in- mired from a scenic outlook on the rampart. According Mazovia, but in Lesser Poland, in the former San- the former wooden manor. The oldest church in town is terest along the route include unique architectural to local tradition, this was where the Polish territories domierskie Voivodship, it is an important stop on the the Church of St. Stanisław, founded by and landmarks and stunning scenery. The same route ended. Route of the Dukes of Mazovia. Izabela . The highlight of the collection of the can also be covered by kayaking down the Liwiec The village of Starawieś near Węgrów is home to a Diocesan Museum located at ul. bpa Świrskiego is the River. 19th-century palace that would appear to be more Siedlce, first mentioned in only painting by El Greco, a leading figure of mannerism, The village of Sucha near Grębków on the at home in England than Mazovia. Built in the 16th a document written by Car- housed in Poland. Kostrzyń, a tributary to the Liwiec River, is home century, the residence was ordered to be rebuilt a few dinal Zbigniew of Oleśnica, to the Museum of Wooden Architecture of the centuries later in the then-popular English neo-Gothic was located at the intersec- Siedlce Region. The highlight of the heritage site is style by Duke Sergiusz Golicyn. The palace gate has tion of three regions. In the www.pttksiedlce.pl a larchwood manor dating back to the year 1743, four crenellated pillars. The palace’s external façades Middle Ages, it was a true www.znurtembugu.pl which once belonged to Liw’s castellan Ignacy Ciesz- with the overhanging octagonal towers in the corners melting pot of cultures and Tourist Information Centre kowski. Parts of original paintings have been pre- are also crenellated. The southeast corner features a nationalities, with Mazovia ul. K. Pułaskiego 7, tel. +48 535 068 593 served in the garden-facing rooms of the Baroque three-story octagonal tower with crenellations. to the north, Lesser Poland manor. Another point of interest is an 1860 cottage, in It is worth making a stop in Łochów to take a look at to the south and Ruthenia which priest Stanisław Brzóska, the last guerilla leader the palace designed by a leading 19th-century archi- to the east and south-east. 2 LIW of the , was believed to have hidden. tect, Bolesław Paweł Podczaszyński, and in the village Ruthenia’s territories were Segments of the rampart of a large fortified city of Gwizdały to see the only museum of whistles in St. Francis In Ecstasy, Fortress on the border painted by El Greco later incorporated into the dating back to the 11th century have survived on Poland. Grand Duchy of Lithua- nia. journeyed through today’s Siedlce en The fortified castle, reminiscent of the castle in , route to Podlasie. This area is also where trails from the Lithuania, was set in a picturesque location on the Li- The first mention of the fortified city on the Liwiec appears II, Polish archaeologist Duchy of Mazovia ran to Halych Ruthenia and the Belz wiec River and was used to protect Mazovia’s eastern in a 1304 document by Bolesław II of Mazovia. In the early Otto Warpechowski Land, which were under the rule of the Dukes of Mazovia border. It was also there that the independence of the 15th century, Duke Janusz I built a castle on the site of convinced the Nazi Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia Route of Duchess in the 14th and 15th century. Eastern influences were Duchy of Mazovia from Poland was defended until the the fortified city and granted city privileges to the neigh- leaders that the noticeable both in the dress of the dukes and knights very end. bouring settlement. The stronghold comprised two parallel ruins were a structures: the Big House, which was the residence of the relic of a cas- dukes, and the Small House, where utility rooms were tle of the located. The houses were connected with a rampart and Teutonic could be accessed through a protruding gate. One hundred years later, Duchess Anna of Mazo- via expanded the Big House and added extensions to the gate and the rampart. What has survived to this day from the old Gothic castle is a monumental gate tower, a segment of the perimeter wall and the starost’s manor built in the 18th century on the site of the Small House. Believe it or not, the castle in Liw was saved from destruction and demolition by Palace of the Ogińskis in Siedlce Liw Castle the . During World War

36 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 37 LAST BASTION them to the king of Poland. Among Anna’s suitors was on the frame states could show them their future or even... the devil. At least OF SOVEREIGN MAZOVIA Wilhelm von Brandenburg. There were also plans to that this mirror was this is what the legend claims. Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia At Liw Castle, ten years after the Duchy’s lands were marry her off to future king Sigismund Augustus, but used by Twardows- Also worth seeing in Węgrów are the monastery and the incorporated into Poland, Anna of Mazovia, sister of ultimately the duchess married Stanisław Odrowąż. ki to entertain post- church (at ul. Kościuszki 27). Its interiors the late heirless dukes Janusz and Stanisław, object- Even though she did get married, she was not willing others by perform- house magnificent Baroque sculptures, frescoes and the ed to the order of the King of Poland, who demand- to relinquish the lands that had been in her family for ing magic tricks tombstone of Jan Dobrogost Krasiński. The crypt holds ed that she yield to him the Mazovian lands she was centuries. The duchess took shelter in Liw Castle, the , but it has since been mummified remains from more than 250 years ago. controlling. construction of which she had commissioned earlier, re-purposed to serve After the death of her brother Janusz III, Anna effec- and did not allow the king’s messengers into the for- the Lord. It is alleged tively ruled Mazovia for six months. She surrendered tress. After having a string of insults slung at them, the that before his death, the land to King Sigismund the Old only after the King messengers had to return to Kraków empty-handed. It a famous German www.wegrow.com.pl arrived in Warsaw to attend the funeral of the last Duke was not until 1537 that the Duchess was forced to bow wizard, sorcerer and Tourist Information Centre Twardowski’s mystery- of Mazovia. Even though the King incorporated Ma- down before the king and waive her rights to Mazovia, shrouded mirror alchemist named ul. Gdańska 2, tel. +48 25 792 35 66 zovia into Poland, he left some of the lands, e.g. the after which she left the Duchy altogether. This put an Durentius (or “hard”, Liw Land, to Anna, but only provisionally until she got end to the history of the sovereign Duchy of Mazovia, twardy in Polish), who was remembered in the Polish married. After the wedding, the duchess was to return independent from the Kingdom of Poland. tradition as Mr Twardowski, gave the mirror to bishop 4 OSTRÓW MAZOWIECKA Franciszek Krasiński. He sacrificed it in church as a vo- City of Duchess Anna tive offering. However, the mirror is positioned in such a way that no one can see their own reflection, as the mirror Knights. The ruse worked, and the occupier even started 3 WĘGRÓW Ostrów Mazowiecka owes its name not to an island to rebuild the tower. Today, the castle houses an Armoury A basilica and a mysterious mirror MASTER TWARDOWSKI AND THE (ostrów is Polish for island), like other Polish towns Museum with an extensive collection of arms from the GHOST OF BARBARA RADZIWIŁŁ named Ostrów, but to a primitive beekeeper’s ladder 15th-20th century. At the request of King Sigismund Augustus, called “ostrowa”, used in the olden days by the in- Established in the 14th century, Węgrów obtained Twardowski the magician was to invoke the spirit habitants of the White Forest to gather honey from city privileges in 1441, when the Duchy of Mazovia of Barbara Radziwiłł, the king’s late wife. Legend beehives. and Lithuania were competing to win Podlasie. It was has it that it appeared in a mysterious mirror. The meant to reinforce the dukes’ control of Podlasie but sorcerer asked the king not to touch the spirit as This settlement of beekeepers, Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia Route of Duchess it was soon claimed by Lithuania. that would bring a series of calamities upon him. lumberjacks and hunters, hidden However, once the king saw Barbara, he could away in the depths of the for- Five years after the city received city privileges, Duke not help giving her a hug. The spell was broken, est, became a city in 1434, Bolesław IV forfeited Podlasie and afterwards Węgrów the mirror shattered and the king and Twardowski when the then-fourteen- became part of Lithuania. However, messengers of the were plunged into a world of misfortunes. Sigis- year-old Duke Bolesław IV, Dukes of Mazovia still travelled through the area because mund Augustus died soon thereafter in Knyszyn, grandson of Janusz I, Węgrów was located along the Great Lithuanian Trail, while Twardowski was abducted from an inn granted it city privileg- which connected Warsaw and . called Rome (Rzym) in Mystki (located near es. However, it is Anna The heart of Węgrów is the Basilica of the Assumption of ) by devils. It is believed Radziwiłł, the wife of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St. Peter, Paul and Cath- that he had sold his soul by signing a contract with Konrad, whom the city erine, located in St. Mary’s Square (Rynek Mariacki). The a stipulation that his soul could only be taken in residents remember basilica owes its current look to Jan Dobrogost Krasiński, Rome. Some claimed, however, that Twardowski to this day. The who built it in the early 18th century from a design drafted was captured not by devils but flesh-and-blood duchess au- by architect Tylman van Gameren. The basilica is located humans. Twardowski did not in fact invoke the thorised the Reconstruction of Liw Castle in the Middle Ages on the site of an earlier church, founded in 1414 by Piotr spirit of Barbara, but tricked the king by making a town to Pilik, marshal to Duke of Mazovia Siemowit IV. The sacris- lady-in-waiting who looked very much like her ap- hold four ty houses one of the most mysterious known artefacts in pear instead. To keep the matter under wraps, the Poland – a 17-kilogram dulled mirror made from a gold and masterminds of the hoax captured Twardowski. Statue of Duchess Anna in Ostrów Mazowiecka www.liw-zamek.pl, www.liw.pl silver alloy, broken into three pieces. The Latin inscription

38 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 39 fairs per year and one market per week. From then on, be- The local area cause of its convenient location along trade routes, Ostrów OSTROŁĘKA Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia began to prosper from trade. The Duchess is commemo- Fortified city on the Narew rated by a statue dedicated to her (plaza near ul. 3 Maja), which is one of only two statues of the former rulers of The fortified city, whose rampart survives to this day at the Mazovia (the other one, in Gostynin, commemorates confluence of the Omulew and Narew Rivers, up until the 13th century was a bastion defending Mazovia against at- tacks from the north. In 1373, Duke Siemowit III granted city HISTORIC SETTLEMENT privileges to Ostrołęka, and several dozen years later his AND A DEATHLY AFFAIR son, Duke Janusz I, founded the parish church. The church The year 1392 saw an event without which the is still in existence (located at ul. Farna), but only its chancel Reconstruction of the fortified city of the Dukes of historic victory in the Battle of Grunwald would not Mazovia has retained its Gothic features. It owes its current look to a have been possible. The feuding King of Poland, reconstruction effort that took place in the mid-17th century. Jagiełło, and his cousin Vytautas concluded a set- Duke Siemowit IV) located in Mazovia. Another reminder tlement targeting the Teutonic Order. According to of the duchy era is a reconstruction of the City of the some historians, this agreement was concluded Dukes of Mazovia, to be found in the Jordan Recreation www.ostroleka.pl, www.kurpiowskipark.pl at the hunting manor of the Dukes of Mazovia in Area. It was built in the historic location of the hunting Church in Brok Tourist Information Centre Ostrów Mazowiecka. The settlement was reached manor of Duke Janusz I, from which the dukes set out ul. Bogusławskiego 18, tel. +48 29 764 51 95 with substantial help from Mazovian rulers. A year on their hunting trips. before its conclusion, King Władysław Jagiełło re- HISTORICALLY, THE REGION OF MAZOVIA In Łomża, the last Dukes of Mazovia, Stanisław, quested the help of Henry, the bishop of Płock, STRETCHED FAR OUT TO THE EAST Janusz III and their sister Anna, founded a cathedral, the youngest son of Duke Siemowit III and the The historical area of Mazovia, while less expansive which is now considered one of the city’s most tre stepbrother of the dukes – each ruling a part of www.powiatostrowmaz.pl, www.ostrowmaz.pl in the south than it is now, as the Pilica River was its sured landmarks. The church, completed after their the split Duchy, (Eastern and Western Mazovia) Tourist Information Centre border, had its eastern portion stretching further into death, was the last thing they founded. – Janusz and Siemowit IV. Henry went on a ul. 3 Maja 68, tel. +48 29 645 71 06 today’s Podlasie. Cities located in today’s Podlaskie The stronghold in Wizna (city known as the Mountain of delicate mission to see Vytautas, who was then Voivodship, such as Nowogród, Łomża or Wizna, Queen (Góra Królowej Bony)) was one of the staying with the Teutonic Knights. He was sup- were part of the Duchy of Mazovia throughout its ex- most important strongholds in Mazovia guarding the lands Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia Route of Duchess posed to convince him to bury the hatchet with The local area istence. The easternmost town founded by the Dukes bordering Lithuania and the Teutonic Order. Incidentally, Jagiełło. The bishop exhibited extraordinary nego- BROK was , located right on the modern-day border even though it was located in the far-eastern part of Ma- tiation skills. Not only did he convince Vytautas to City of the bishops of Płock with Belarus. zovia, the city was always closely linked to the Płock Land. meet with his cousin, but he was so persuasive Atop Siemowit Hill (Wzgórze Siemowita), as it is For a period of time, the Dukes of Mazovia also con- that Vytautas, abandoning the Teutonic Knights, The history of the small town, located in Bug Landscape known, in the scenic area now known as the Kurpie trolled territories that were part of Podlasie proper. The his then-allies, burned down two of their castles... Park, dates back to the era of Konrad of Mazovia. The Archaeological Heritage Site (Skansen Kurpiowski) name of the area itself is believed to derive from the However, the bishop’s charm did not work on Vy- document issued by the duke in 1203 mentions a fortified in Nowogród, there was once a fortified city of the phrase “po lachy” (the name of a Polish tribe) and it tautas only. It also touched his sister, Rymgajla, city with a church and the eighteen villages that belong to Duchy. In the 14th century, it was replaced with a originally denoted the border between the Ruthenian who, due to her great beauty, was called “the gor- it. Even though it was located in the Duchy of Mazovia, small castle, which has not survived to the present and Polish duchies. The Dukes of Mazovia strived geous” by chroniclers. Rymgajla and Henry fell in Brok was owned by the bishops of Płock at the time. The day. Today, the heritage site offers visitors an oppor- to incorporate Podlasie into their domains. Flags love. The bishop abandoned the clergy and the late-Gothic church of St. Andrew the Apostle dates back to tunity to admire the wooden architecture and culture featuring both an eagle and a dragon were hung in office of bishop of Płock and married Rymgajla. the Middle Ages. The stunningly situated ruins of a 17th of the people of Kurpie. The Kurpie Land was estab- the cities of , Suraż, and Bielsk The relationship did not turn out well for Henry, century palace where future king of Poland Michał Korybut lished when Mazovia was ruled by the Dukes. The Podlaski. The lands were the subject of a dispute who died suddenly six months after the settlement Wiśniowiecki received his education are a reminder of the Green Forest (Puszcza Zielona) was a haven for the with Lithuania and ultimately, when Duke Bolesław IV was concluded. Some suspected that Rymgajla era of the bishops of Płock defiant. Some had committed certain wrongdoings, surrendered them to Lithuania in 1446, they became had poisoned her husband. Perhaps she real- others were escaping , others still were hid- part of it. From then on, the Liwiec River separated ised too late that she should not have married a ing in the woods, finding them safer than borderland Mazovia and Lithuania, and Liw Castle became the clergyman... settlements. border watchtower. www.brok.pl

40 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 41 W i s ł PODKOWA a BRWINÓW LEŚNA Janki 79 Wola MILANÓWEK io Ducka Rudzienko Pogorzel Wolica Jez Opacz OTWOCK Posiadały Kuflew Nadarzyn Siennica GRODZISK Łazy 1 721 712 KARCZEW 802 MAZ. Jaktorów 8 KONSTANCIN- Celestynów KołbielŚwider WodynieCzersk Castle 579 PIASECZNO -JEZIORNA 797 Latowicz 734 Wielgolas Siestrzeń Zalesie 873 Wola Grn. Baniocha 1 Piaseczno – Gothic church Mrokowska 862 724 2 Czersk – castle,Puznówka stronghold and the STOCZEK Słubica 7 Parysów TARCZYN Łoś GÓRA KALWARIA Dziecinów ŁUKOWSKI 883 mystery of the Mazovian dragon Kaleń 772 805 805 876 2 PILAWA 76 739 Osieck3 Warka – crypts used by the Dukes of 683 Czachówek Kieńkówka 722 Czersk 739 Wilchta Prażmów Mazovia Chudolipie Petrykozy Lesznowola 50 Sobienie- 4 Kozienice – reconstructed “Grunwald” Coniew -Jeziory Natolin Miastków Pniewy Kośc. Głuchów Chynów 801 bridge GARWOLIN Drwalew Rębków S17 Osuchów 5 Sieciechów – abbey in which Konrad of 50 Konary 76 Sulbiny Mazovia held his nephew captive 79 a Górzno GRÓJEC Wilg Rożce 6 Iłża – scenic castle on a hill Zalesie 728 Jasieniec Nw. Piaseczno 7 Szydłowiec – castle on an island, 730 Wieś a Wilków 731 lic Rozniszew RenaissanceRuda city hallŁASKARZEW and Gothic Drugi 725 Pi Tarnowska S7 736 Gończyce Łychów sandstone church Łęczeszyce WARKA 3 8736 Chlewiska – palace belonging to 17 Błędów Magnuszew 807 Huta 731 the Odrowąż family Błędowska Broniszew Podłęż Palczew Grabów Sadkowice Goszczyn n. Pilicą Studzianki W Oronne Trojanów E77 i Okrze Pancerne s jk Promna Boże ł Maciejowice a a MOGIELNICA 730 Ryczywół Olszowa Wola 728 Wola Życka Przybyszew BIAŁOBRZEGI 48 Stromiec Głowaczów WYŚMIERZYCE 79 Pawłowice NW. MIASTO n. PILICĄ 48 KOZIENICE Kamień Miejska 48 DĘBLIN

Stawiszyn S7 Dąbrowa a

Kostrzyn k 4 a k 48 Żdżarki Nw. Gózd m Cecylówka Sieciechów W z Radzanów o n ieprRoute of Duke Janusz d o a Nowiny ż Nw. 48 823 R d Str. ż 738 Klwów o Słowiki 5 g 732 Błotnica a 48 Jastrzębia 737 Z Garbatka- 691 Jedlińsk -Letnisko Odrzywół 727 740 Wrzeszczów Potworów 787 PIONKI Why was a dragon included in the coat of arms of 729 Gniewoszów Jedlnia 691 Laski 79 the ? What was the favourite beer of the Janusz I the Old (1346-1429) was one of the greatest rulers Przytyk S7 738 Policzna 788 Opatkowice Zakrzew Dukes of Mazovia? You can find answers to these among the Dukes of Mazovia. He was known as the Casimir Goszczewice Czarnolas 740 737 questions by travelling around southern Mazovia. the Great of Mazovia. He ruled the Eastern part of the Duchy. 733 692 Here, on the Pilica River, was the border of the Duchy He established 24 towns, including Przasnysz, Ciechanów, Krzyszkowice RADOM Rajec Szlach. 699 Strykowice Grn. Polesie of Mazovia. Lesser Poland (Malopolska) began past a Łomża, Zakroczym, and New Warsaw, or today’s New Town. Pomyków Janików Wolanów Podgóra 12 Załazy vast forest, where you were more likely to encounter In 1406, Duke Janusz moved the capital of his part of the Makowiec Młodocin ZWOLEŃ wild animals than humans, a remainder of which is Duchy from Czersk to Warsaw. He ensured that the new cap- Wieniawa 12 Mniejszy 744 PRZYSUCHA 733 Kozienice Forest. Even though these areas belonged ital was protected by city walls and expanded the castle in SKARYSZEW Tczów Sydół Jasieniec to the kings of Poland, the Dukes of Mazovia also Warsaw. He also had castles built in Czersk and Liw, and Korzyce Maliszów ła Borkowice E77 Solecki ismade their mark on them. In Kozienice, a pontoon ordered the massive stronghold in Ciechanów to be convert- Odechów Kazanów Andrzejów W 7 79 bridge was built in collaboration with Duke Janusz, ed into a residence for himself and his court. The area near Długa Chustki 744 Brzezina 727 Chotcza which allowed Jagiełło to cross the Vistula River onto Czerwińsk in his Duchy was the scene of the concentration of Ciepielów Iłżanka 8 727 Wierzbica Łączany 9 the land owned by the Teutonic Order. In Sieciechów, the joined Polish and Lithuanian military forces making their Chlewiska 7 Wola Solecka Konrad of Mazovia held his political opponents cap- way to Grunwald. Duke Janusz was also the first knight to Krzyżanowice Bąkowa Aleksandrów SZYDŁOWIEC Antoniów tive. The fate of the Duchy was decided in Szydłowiec congratulate Władysław Jagiełło on his victory over the Teu- Smarków 754 Castle, and at Iłża. Those who dare explore will be tonic Order. Furmanów IŁŻA 6 Pasztowa Wola LIPSKO Trębowiec 747 rewarded with the treasures hidden away in the cas- 747 Jawor Solecki STĄPORKÓW Duży tle’s dungeon. Mroczków Solec n. Wisłą 42 SKARŻYSKO- Str. Tychów Grabowiec Hucisko -KAMIENNA 744 Maruszów 754 825 42 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 43

na en K a mi 1 PIASECZNO 2 CZERSK Square (Plac Tysiąclecia) became its market square. City of Mazovian duchesses STRONG RULE OF THE WEAKER SEX Castle of the green dragon The mediaeval urban layout, featuring the market square Route of Duke Janusz The male line of descendants of the Mazo- and the streets radiating from it, has survived to the vian branch of the Piast dynasty was plagued with present day. The Gothic church and market square are vivid re- deaths at an early age. Bolesław IV died at the age of During the reign of the Dukes of Mazovia, Czersk minders of the rich history of the city. A beautiful park 34 and his son Konrad the Red – at the age of was, next to Płock, the largest centre of political exists in the area that was once the site of the dukes’ 55. They both left behind two young heirs (minors) power in Mazovia and the capital of its eastern manor. Only a handful of linden trees have survived to the throne. In these times, mothers and wives, part. Today it is a small village. The komes of from the grand, tree-lined route leading to the resi- acting as regents on behalf of their grandsons or the Czersk stronghold in the 11th century was dence of Mazovia’s rulers. sons, would take control over the Duchy. After the Magnus, presumed to be the son of Harold II, death of Bolesław IV, this role was performed first King of England. It is possible that the tomb The city owes its growth in the Middle Ages to Ma- by his mother Anna, and then by his wife Barbara. discovered by archaeologists during an Route of Duke Janusz zovian Dukes, Janusz I the Old, who established the Both duchesses went down in history by founding excavation in the area of the city church city under Chełmno law in 1429, and to Anna, wife of churches, such as the Church of St. Anna in War- was in fact his tomb. Duke Konrad III the Red, who granted her approval in saw and Piaseczno. An even greater influence on 1513 for the city to hold fairs and markets. This decision the growth of Mazovia is attributed to the reign of Mazovia’s military centre had immense consequences for Piaseczno and trading in Anna Radziwiłł, widow of Duke Konrad III and, the Piaseczno’s market square continued up until 1964. after the Duchy was incorporated, her daughter In the 11th century, when Płock was A modern-day reminder of the golden age of the Ma- Anna of Mazovia. By granting the privilege of considered the capital of Mazovia, Czer- zovian branch of the Piast dynasty is the Church of St. holding fairs and markets, the two duchesses sk was its military centre. What is now a cas- Anna, located in the market square. Around the year contributed to the economic growth of Eastern tle was once a fortified city with a settlement Reconstruction of Czersk 1350, Duke Siemowit III founded the first wooden church Mazovia. outside the city walls. In the mid-14th century, Castle in the Middle Ages in this area. In 1458, Duchess Anna, mother of Duke it grew into a city, and the current Millennium Bolesław IV, granted land to the parish and founded the church which was the oldest church in Piaseczno, was burned once again. The church, down in a fire that broke out in 1526, which was the year DID AN ENGLISH PRINCE of the youngest one, Magnus, appeared in Gallus the territories of the Duchy of Mazovia were incorporated ONCE REIGN IN CZERSK? Anonymus’s chronicle. The oldest Polish chronicler into Poland. During excavation efforts in 1966, archaeologists makes mention of a komes of Warsaw and then Ma- The construction of a new stone church did not commence discovered an unusual tomb in the area of the city zovia by the name of Magnus, and refers to him as until the mid-16th century. The single-aisle church was re- church. The tomb must have belonged to a wealthy a duke. Indirect proof that the person he is referring peatedly destroyed, rebuilt and renovated. The eastern warrior. The remains were in a three-metre-long to is Magnus Haroldson (aside from the name) may façade features a recess with a late-Baroque sculpture of wooden coffin with iron casings. There was a gold be offered by the fact that Magnus’s sister married St. John of Nepomuk. The main body of the building on the finger of the left hand of the deceased; a the ruler of Kievan Rus’, which indicates a close rests on buttresses. In the 1960s, the church was sword and a spear were placed alongside his body, relationship between the rulers of England and the rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style and segments of a and a water bucket for his horse was at his feet. rulers of the eastern borderlands of Europe. Komes 1555 polychrome were discovered near the Since the discovery was made, there has been a dis- Magnus resided in Czersk. According to legend, he main altar, on the northern and eastern wall of cussion about whether these could be the remains of is associated with the establishment of the town of the chancel. The pieces depict scenes from the the son of the last King of England to reign before the Magnuszew. He may also be the person responsible New Testament. The former presbytery next to Norman conquest – Magnus Haroldson. In 1066, the for bringing to Mazovia the heraldic symbol of the the church has been converted into a Regional fields outside Hastings were the site of a bloody bat- two-legged dragon, the wyvern. The wyvern adorned Museum and now houses relics and artefacts tle between English knights led by King Harold and the family coat of arms of Magnus, coming from a related to Piaseczno. Norman knights led by . The long line of rulers in the Kingdom of Wessex. There English lost the battle, King Harold was killed, and his is a legend that treasure is hidden away somewhere sons had to flee to save their lives. Their names soon in Czersk Castle’s dungeon. It is allegedly guarded disappeared from English chronicles, but the name by a dragon. Church of St. Anna in Piaseczno www.piaseczno.eu

44 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 45 Capital of Eastern Mazovia preserved city church. Duke Janusz also made another Siemowit II, who ruled the Duchy of Rawa, as well as decision that affected Czersk even more – he moved the Duchess Danutė of Lithuania, wife of Duke Janusz Route of Duke Janusz The Dukes of Mazovia expanded the Czersk stronghold. capital of Eastern Mazovia to Warsaw, a city that was de- I, who died 100 years later. It is also possible Czersk was where Duke Konrad I of Mazovia kept his ri- veloping more rapidly, thus causing Czersk to slowly fall that Warka’s Church of the Dominicans is val, Duke of , imprisoned. The into oblivion. also the final resting place of another duke, poor wretch was locked up in a special chest, with only Konrad II, who died in Czerwińsk in the late his head and limbs sticking out. This was how Konrad of 13th century. Mazovia tried to coax political concessions out of his pris- oner. It was not until Hedwig, wife of the Silesian duke, www.zamekczersk.pl Piotr Wysocki moves the remains pleaded with the ruthless Konrad to free her husband that www.gorakalwaria.pl of the Dukes of Mazovia the former finally gave in. Eastern Mazovia was ruled from Czersk by Konrad II, grandson of Konrad of Mazovia. The The church of the Dominicans did not Church of Our Lady of the Scapular in Warka Route of Duke Janusz city was also the capital during the era of Duke Trojden, 3 WARKA survive. In the 19th century, it was so di- the founder of the dynasty that reigned in all of Mazovia Beer and dukes’ crypts lapidated that the remains of the Dukes of Mazovia were (at ul. Farna) was built on the site of a former wooden until its incorporation into Poland in 1526. Trojden, as the moved to a newer church in 1859. The ceremony was sol- church founded by the former rulers of Mazovia. ruler of Czersk, introduced to the Mazovian the emn and patriotic. The change of the dukes’ burial place image of the two-legged green dragon, set against a white The city has been associated with beer since the was inspired by Piotr Wysocki, the man who led the revolt shield, i.e. the wyvern, which is why the Mazovian dragon reign of the Dukes of Mazovia. The beverage gained of officer cadets and caused the outbreak of the Novem- is sometimes called the Czersk dragon. so much favour that in 1478, Bolesław V stipulated ber Uprising. The remains of the Dukes of Mazovia were www.warka.pl that the beer delivered to the duke’s manor in Warsaw laid in the crypt of the 17th-century Baroque Franciscan can only come from Warka. It is still not clear if the Church of Our Lady of the Scapular, where they remain city’s name derives from the word “warzyć” (to cook to this day. 4 KOZIENICE or brew) or the word “warownia” (stronghold). Warka is also home to another church associated with the The place where Władysław Jagiełło’s Dukes of Mazovia. The Church of St. Nicholas the Bishop secret weapon was built The history of Warka starts in… Old Warka BEER FROM WARKA A remote corner of the forest right on the border with Before beer brewing even started in Warka, there was a SAVES A NUNCIO’S LIFE the Duchy of Mazovia, an abundance of wood and the fortified settlement on a high slope above the Pilica River, The Golden Age is associated with the 15th fact that the local Zagożdżonka River was a tributary in a place located 3 kilometres away from today’s market and 16th century, an era in which the city pros- of the Vistula River – all these factors played a role in square, now known as Old Warka. It was an important pered through trading its beer, which was selecting Kozienice as the location for building King trade centre upon crossing the Pilica River. The rampart widely known and well-respected in Europe at Władysław Jagiełło’s “secret weapon”, to be used of the stronghold survives to this day. Duke Siemowit I the time. An excellent example of the world- against the Teutonic Knights. most likely brought the Dominicans to Old Warka. When wide popularity of the Warka beverage is the the river bed shifted, the people of Warka resettled to a story of nuncio and future pope Clement VII, In 1409, during a meeting with his cousin Vytautas, King Czersk Castle new location and the monastery followed them. who fell seriously ill upon returning to Rome from Władysław Jagiełło decided to build a “secret weapon” Poland. As he lay on his deathbed, he longingly that would increase his chances of victory against the Duke Janusz builds a castle How many dukes were buried in the crypt of repeated the words birra di warka, thinking back Teutonic Knights. This weapon was a pontoon bridge that the Dominican monastery? to the beer that he had come to enjoy. Imagining would enable the troops to quickly cross the Vistula River The last duke to rule from Czersk was Janusz I. He went that he was asking an obscure saint for support, at a spot where the Teutonic Knights would not expect a down in its history for ordering a stone castle to be built in The monks built a new monastery building in today’s mar- the clergymen gathered by his bedside began to crossing to occur, and to attack the enemy where it least place of the fortified city. Preserved to this day are large ket square, in the place where the fire station is located. pray: Santa Birra di Warka… Hearing that, the ill expected it. Kozienice was supposedly the site of the as- segments of the perimeter wall with a gate tower and the The monastery’s crypt became the final resting place nuncio burst out laughing so hard that the throat sembly of the pontoon bridge. Jagiełło was very familiar western and southern towers. In the courtyard, archaeol- of the Mazovian rulers. Among those buried there were ulcer responsible for his illness erupted and the with that area. The settlement, which dates back to the ogists discovered traces of the foundations of the duke’s Trojden, the Duke of Czersk, who confirmed the granting nuncio made a full recovery. 13th century, when it was granted to the Norbertines of residence, known as the Big House, and an area with a of city privileges to Warka in 1321, and Trojden’s brother Płock, became a popular place for Polish kings to stay

46 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 47 THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY BRIDGE River to Czerwińsk, through an area controlled by Janusz. post-Benedictine monastery buildings. Although the build- Segments of walls, bastions and a tall tower located on top IN MEDIAEVAL EUROPE There, the knights led by King Władysław Jagiełło crossed ings date back to the 18th-19th century, they were built on of a hill from which the surrounding areas can be admired Route of Duke Janusz The bridge was built in utter secrecy over a six- the Vistula River. foundations that date back to the Middle Ages. have survived to the present day. These are the remains month period. Craftsmen built 150 boats that were Today, a reminder of these extraordinary events is the of the former seat of the bishops of Kraków. The castle 5 metres long, 1.5 metres wide and approximately statue of Władysław Jagiełło inspecting the assembly pro- was built by bishop Jan Grot in the mid-14th century. The 1 metre deep, as well as a 500-metre-long deck cess and two spans of the reconstructed bridge (Palace dignitary was trusted both by Władysław the Elbow-High over which the troops were to cross the river. Park at ul. Parkowa). www.sieciechow.pl and by his son Casimir the Great. However, a conflict The construction process was supervised by www.izbasieciechow.pl broke out between the bishop and Casimir, and the angry Radom starost, Dobrogost Czarny of Odrzywół, king sent out troops to take over the castle in Iłża. But, the and the main contractor of the structure was stronghold was not conquered and after the unsuccessful master carpenter, Jarosław. At the time, pontoon www.kozienice.pl The local area siege, the royal troops had to retreat from Iłża. bridges were an engineering marvel not known www.dkkozienice.pl ZWOLEŃ The bishop and his knights presumably hid in the tower, Route of Duke Janusz in Western Europe. In the Middle Ages, when an Tourist Information Centre which is the oldest part of the stronghold. He was not the army wanted to cross a river, it had to find a ford. al. 1 Maja 8, tel. +48 48 611 07 50 According to local tradition, the place where, since the mid- only owner of the castle to appreciate its The areas suitable for such crossings were well- 19th century, there has been a shrine erected on the site defensive features. Legend has known to both parties to the conflict, so the enemy of the former Church of St. Anna (ul. Wojska Polskiego), it that a cruel princess staked forces could easily make it more difficult to cross 5 SIECIECHÓW used to mark the end of Czersk Way, as it was known. out traders’ carriages from the river. The pontoon bridge made it possible to Mystery of the residence of Mazovia’s Records confirm that indeed, at the turn of the 13th and the tower’s window, over time quickly cross the Vistula River, stun the opponent most powerful magnate 14th century, the land in which Zwoleń was established turning Iłża into a den of robber and accelerate the military efforts, making it a true one hundred years later may have been associated with barons. The stolen goods were Blitzkrieg. Czersk and was the southernmost part of the Sieciechów then hidden in the castle’s dun- Chronicler Gallus Anonymus wrote that, between Castellany. Today, the city’s key landmark is the cemetery geon. However, one day, the and Płock, no stronghold was more sig- of the Kochanowski family in the crypt of the Church of duchess accidentally leaned during hunting trips. King Władysław Jagiełło also stayed nificant than Sieciechów. The settlement was the first Exaltation of the Holy Cross (at ul. Wyszyńskiego 30). It is too far out of the window and on numerous occasions at the hunting manor, which was one in Mazovia to receive city privileges. Today, it is also worth visiting the Regional Museum. fell to her death, taking with located on the site of today’s palace. a small municipality neighbouring a post-Benedictine her the secret burial place of The bridge was being built in close cooperation with Duke monastery complex. the treasures. Janusz I, who controlled the eastern part of Mazovia, which stretched at the time all the way to the The name of the town comes from the name of count www.zwolen.pl Ruins of the castle in Iłża River, almost reaching the outskirts of Kozienice. Finished palatine Sieciech, from the Starża-Toporczyk family, Tourist Information Centre segments of the bridge were floated down the Vistula who was an influential administrator of the court of Duke pl. Kochanowskiego 1, tel. +48 48 676 22 10 Władysław Herman. The town, which is still a site for ar- chaeologists, went down in history as the place where www.ilza.turystyka.pl political opponents were held captive. Among those held 6 IŁŻA Tourist Information Centre captive in Sieciechów were Zbigniew, the first-born son Unconquered stronghold pl. 11 Listopada 2, tel. +48 537 458 111 of Władysław Herman, and Grzymisława, imprisoned by of the Bishops of Kraków Konrad of Mazovia in 1233, widow of his brother Leszek the White, and their young son Bolesław the Chaste, who 7 SZYDŁOWIEC was Konrad’s rival for the throne in Kraków. Inside the Before the castle that now towers over the city was City where the fate of sovereign town, Sieciech built a monastery for the Benedictines, who built, Duke Konrad was at the foot of the hill on which Mazovia was decided arrived there from France in the 11th century. The abbey it was built, leading the Mazovian knights towards existed there until the mid-13th century. When the Vistu- Kraków. Could it be that the spirit of the Duke of Ma- la’s riverbed shifted, the town was abandoned as it was zovia still wanders around these parts? The later mag- Located in the Sandomierz Land, Szydłowiec did not no longer important strategically. The monks left the mon- nates of the Iłża castle exhibited similar pugnacity and belong to Mazovian rulers, but it was this city that astery in the city and moved to a municipality now known stubbornness. Particularly towards their feudal lords witnessed some important decisions that affected the Statue of Władysław Jagiełło in Kozienice as Opactwo (Abbey), which boasts an original complex of in Kraków. fate of sovereign Mazovia.

48 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 49 SZYDŁOWIEC MAGNATES Gothic, oriented church was made of Szydłowiec sand- 8 CHLEWISKA who is depicted in one of the stained glass windows. It is believed that King Sigismund the Old stone. The church was founded by Stanisław and Mikołaj Residence of the Odrowąż family Surviving near the church is the rampart of a mediaeval Route of Duke Janusz liked to play poker with the Szydłowski brothers. Szydłowiecki. The aisle in the chancel contains a tomb- fortified city known as Piotrówka, which is to be convert- During one of their games, the king put two kings on stone of the latter, and the northern wall of the chancel ed into the Archaeological Heritage Site of the Mleczna the table, claiming he had three of a kind, the third features a late-Gothic polyptych from 1509. River Valley (Park Archeologiczny Doliny Rzeki Mlecznej). king being himself. However, it was Krzysztof of Radom was once the site of a castle built by Casimir the Szydłowiec who stole the pot by flashing two jacks and one of the most beautiful city halls Great. Part of the castle still survives and you can see and explaining that he had four of a kind, as the in Poland segments of the so-called Grand House, incorporated as remaining two were him and his brother Mikołaj... part of the wall surrounding the vicarage of the Church Mikołaj Stanisław of Szydłowiec (1480–1532) – The central part of the market square is the city hall, which of St. John. courtier of King John Albert, Vice-Treasurer of the is the town’s main landmark and the seat of Szydłowiec’s Crown, starost of Radom. authorities. The building, erected in the early 17th century, Route of Duke Janusz Krzysztof of Szydłowiec (1467–1532) – brother is one of the best preserved late-Renaissance monuments www.cit.radom.pl of Mikołaj, Vice-Treasurer of the Crown, Grand in Poland. Built on a rectangular plan, it has a small tower Tourist Information Centre Chancellor, castellan of Kraków. During the reign of at each corner and a larger tower in the eastern part. A ul. Traugutta 3, tel. +48 48 360 06 10 Sigismund the Old, he was in charge of the foreign very unique point of interest is the whipping post complete policy of the Kingdom of Poland. Like the king, he with mascarons, located in front of the city hall. It is one of was in favour of incorporating Mazovia into Poland. the few structures of this kind in Poland. As the starost of Sochaczew and Gostynin, Krzysz- Palace belonging to the Odrowąż family in Chlewiska The local area tof managed the lands of Mazovia incorporated GRÓJEC earlier into Poland. Chlewiska, located near Szydłowiec, is well-known for www.szydlowiec.pl its fortified palace belonging to the Chlewiska branch Grójec, historically known as Grodziec, is considered Tourist Information Centre of the Odrowąż family. Chlewiska was the first place to be one of the oldest settlements in southern Mazo- Renaissance castle Rynek Wielki 5a, tel. +48 48 326 20 54 of exile of the last female ruler of Mazovia, Anna, wife via. The castellum existed here back in the 11th-12th of Stanisław Odrowąż. After the feud with King Sigis- century, but no traces of it have yet been found. In It is presumed that it was at Szydłowiec Castle that King mund I the Old and upon waiving every right to her 1419, Duke Janusz I the Old gave Grójec city privi- , together with Mikołaj and Krzysztof properties, the rebellious duchess and her husband leges under Chełmno law. A reminder of the golden of Szydłowiec, determined the policy to be undertaken had to leave Mazovia. A fortified palace, called a age of Mazovia is the parish Church of St. Nicholas. with respect to sovereign Mazovia. The castle, locat- castle, is the legacy of the former owners of Chlew- The construction of the Gothic church, initiated by ed on an artificial island, was built in the 15th century iska, the Odrowąż familia. It was probably built in the Duke Janusz I the Old, began in the late 14th century by Stanisław Szydłowiecki, marshal of the court of the late 15th century. The palace now houses the Manor . Initially, it was a single-aisle church made of brick and Kingdom of Poland. The residence was expanded by House SPA hotel. black stones. In 1520-1530, it was expanded, and the his son Mikołaj. The two-story, three-winged structure Chapel of St. Anna was added in that same century. In- was made almost entirely of Szydłowiec sandstone. side, it is worth seeing the sandstone baptismal font, One of the oldest elements of the castle is the gate where, according to records, preacher and writer Piotr tower, supported by corner buttresses. Its ground floor www.manorhouse.pl Skarga was baptised. features a Gothic cross vault. Currently, Szydłowiec Castle houses Poland’s only Museum of Folk Instru- ments, which boasts a unique collection of instruments, The local area The local area (www.muzeuminstrumentow.pl), and a community centre RADOM TARCZYN (www.sckzamek.pl). Radom is located in what has historically been considered Tarczyn’s prosperity in the Middle Ages is large- Gothic church... Lesser Poland (Malopolska). When Mazovia was ruled by ly owed to its convenient location along the trade Konrad of Mazovia, his brother Leszek the White had one routes from Radom to Warsaw and Zakroczym. The main square in town, the Grand Market Square, fea- of his residences in Radom. This ruler was the founder of The market square boasts an original Gothic church built Parish church in Szydłowiec tures the parish Church of St. Sigismund the King. The the oldest church there, the Church of St. Wenceslaus, in the first half of the 16th century.

50 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 51

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Babice r 4 Dobrzelin z Paprotnia y Ołtarzew s SOCHACZEW Wojszyce o Mastki 1 w PIASTÓW P Niepokalanów Bedlno a Str. is Boża BŁONIE i Krzyżanów Płaskocin Dębsk a Wola PRUSZKÓW Western Mazovia has preserved the rich heritage of the SIEMOWIT III AND SIEMOWIT IV – OUTSTANDING a Jeżówka Strzegocin Bąków ur Nw. Dln. Goleńsko z Sucha Kaski Komorów B Dukes of Mazovia and the unsolved mysteries they have RULERS OF MAZOVIA Aleksandrów BRWINÓW Zduny Czerwona- Orłów MILANÓWEK Wolica left behind. In the fortified city of Błonie, archaeologists The former is considered one of the most brilliant leaders of Pęcławice Sobota Maurzyce ŁOWICZ -Niwa Baranów PODKOWA Romartów Chlebnia Ziąbki Guzów LEŚNA Łazy discovered Mazovia’s oldest fortified stone tower. The Mazovia, while the latter attempted to win the Polish throne, GRODZISK Nadarzyn I I Nw. I I Wiskitki MAZ. I Piątek Bielawy city could have been the capital of all of Mazovia. Both competing against Władysław Jagiełło. IMarynki I Gaj I I I Nieborów Jaktorów I I Bolimów Międzyborów I I I I I I I I R I I I I I I I I Arkadia a Siestrzeń Oszkowice Jamno w Mroków the Dukes of Mazovia in the Middle Ages and the kings Siemowit III (1320-1381), son of Trojden, inherited half Lisiewice k ŻYRARDÓW Kuklówka- Góra a -Zarzeczna Św. Małgorzaty Krzyszkowice Duże M Nw. Grudze Bełchów Wola of Poland later on liked to go hunting in the Duchy of Czersk, and after less than thirty years of r Żabia o Bartniki Radziejowice Wola Mrokowska ga Domaniewice Bednary Słubica (Puszcza Kampinoska). Brochów boasts a remarkable demarche, he added to his domain the remaining lands of Gieczno Polesie Mokra Prawa Kaleń TARCZYN Mąkolice fortified church surrounded by a rampart, and inSo- Mazovia, and after the death of King Casimir the Great, he Modlna GŁOWNO Łyszkowice MSZCZONÓW Warszyce Lubianków Puszcza Pszczonów Maków Mariańska Jeżewice Rembertów chaczew, on a hill overlooking the River, you will restored independence to Mazovia. The duke also codified Koźle Słowik Kębliny SKIERNIEWICE Chudolipie M Dmosin find the ruins of a castle built by the Dukes of Mazovia. Mazovian case law, which resulted in the so-called So- os Konie Głuchów Emilia zc a ze Wola Zawady Giżyce remembers the era of Bishop Paweł of Giżyce, chaczew Statutes. r Dąbrówka ni STRYKÓW Godzianów Strobów Pękoszewska u ca z Grotniki Wlk. Lipce Osuchów Wilczoruda B Reymontowskie Nw. Kawęczyn who ruled the entire Duchy of Mazovia as a regent. San- Siemowit IV (1352–1426), younger son of Siemowit III and ZGIERZ Kołacinek Kowiesy GRÓJEC Ługi Grzymkowice Dąbrówka Byczki Rożce niki was home to a hunting manor that saw the death of brother of Janusz I, was almost elected King of Poland Duża Str. ALEKSANDRÓW Nw. Łagiewniki Sierżnia Słupia Babsk Zalesie ŁÓDZKI Borysław Rossocha BIAŁA the older of the last Dukes of Płock, which sealed the by some of the knights. His election was thwarted only N Rogów Rębowola Belsk e Jeżów Krzeszyn RAWSKA r BRZEZINY Duży incorporation of the first lands of the Duchy of Mazovia by Lesser Poland (Malopolski) magnates, who did not fa- Rąbień Lipiny Kaleń Wilków Zalesie Wola Drugi Łęczeszyce into Płock. Did he die as a result of being poisoned? vour the Duke of Mazovia. As a result, Siemowit decided RAWA MAZ. Wólka Chojnata Błędów Wierzchy Głuchów Lesiewska Złota Szwejki Huta The castle in Gostynin was the preferred residence of to abduct Queen Hedwig to secure the coveted throne Pukinin Błędowska ŁÓDŹ KOLUSZKI Chrusty Duke Siemowit IV. According to legend, the castle’s through marriage. When the plan failed, the duke mount- KONSTANTYNÓW Sadkowice Goszczyn Str. Redzeń Rylsk ŁÓDZKI Andrespol Żelechinek Mł. dungeon was once troubled by a monster that devoured ed an armed intervention. He relinquished this idea only Starowa Podkonice Cielądz Góra Regny Duże MOGIELNICA 1 Błonie – fortifiedJustynów city and Romanesque church Olszowa Wola the convicts serving their sentences there. The West- in light of the 1385 Polish-Lithuanian Union, under which Rękawiec Wólka Chociw Sierzchowy Przybyszew PABIANICE 2 Kampinos – where the dukes set out on hunting tripsJagielczyńska ern Mazovian territory did not end at the boundary of the Great Duke of Lithuania, Jagiełło, agreed to become RZGÓW Brójce Kurowice Budziszewice Jankowice Brzostowiec Rokiciny Żdżary Zaosie Czerniewice WYŚMIERZYCE 3 Brochów – unique fortified church Sadykierz today’s Mazowieckie Voivodship. The dukes also owned King of Poland. In return for waiving his rights to the Polish Bychlew Emilianów NW. MIASTO n. PILICĄ Pawlikowice Niewiadów Grzmiąca 4 Sochaczew – castleŁaznów on the Bzura River Łęgonice Łowicz, even though it was managed by the Archbishops throne, Siemowit IV obtained for Mazovia the Bełz Land, G TUSZYN Lubochnia r a Rzeczyca b 5 GiżyceCzarnocin – Gothic churchBędków Ujazd Kostrzyn of Gniezno, and . The castle in Rawa located in Ruthenia. The agreement was sealed by the ia Żdżarki a Wólka Kuligowska Radzanów 6 Sanniki – palace on the site of the duke’s manor c was the scene of an event so dramatic that it inspired marriage of the Duke of Mazovia to Jagiełło’s beloved sister Zaborów li Dłutów Spała i Głuchów7 Gostynin – castle with a dungeon in which the prisoners were devouredP by a monsterBrudzewice Klwów Shakespeare to write one of his tragedies. Alexandra. Odrzywół Srock Inowłódz Potworów Karczmy Wadlew Moszczenica TOMASZÓW MAZ. Wrzeszczów Grabica Wola WOLBÓRZ Domaszno Przystałowice ZELÓW Moszczenicka Dęborzeczka Duże Drużbice Goszczewice 52 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 53 1 BŁONIE Katarzyna Radziejowska serves The city that was supposed to THE CITY WHERE KONRAD OF a deadly treat Route of the Siemowits be the capital of Mazovia MAZOVIA MAY HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO BRING IN THE The first stage in the decline of sovereign Mazovia played TEUTONIC KNIGHTS out in Błonie market square. In 1524, the last Dukes of The fortified city of Błonie was an important element In the fortified city in Błonie, aside from remnants Mazovia, Stanisław and Janusz III, attended a feast in of Mazovia’s defence system. It was one of the main of the oldest fortified tower in Mazovia, archaeol- Błonie. At the dinner table, Stanisław was served a dish residences of Duke Konrad of Mazovia and his son ogists also discovered portions of a large oblong specially made for him, and, according to accounts, pre- Siemowit. It is possible that it was being groomed to residential building erected in the first half of the pared by Katarzyna Radziejowska: capon drizzled with serve as the capital of the entire Duchy. 13th century. Next to the structure, there is evi- Malvasia vinegar. A day after consuming this delicacy, dence of an old goldsmith’s workshop. Not every Stanisław died. Was he poisoned or was his body, accus- Capital of Mazovia on Bald Mountain city at the time had these types of craftsmen. The tomed to Polish alcoholic beverages, not able to tolerate

Route of the Siemowits (Łysa Góra) average dwellers of mediaeval Mazovia could Malvasia, which was the term used at the time to refer to not afford to buy the jewellery and ornaments he sweet wines imported from the faraway island of Crete? In the north-eastern part of town, on Bald Mountain, a for- created. Those were typically ordered by dukes tified city was built in the 12th century. During the reign of and knights. Therefore, it is possible that the large Portrait of Konrad II at the Church of the Holy Trinity Konrad of Mazovia, it was one of the main residences of residential building was the duke’s court, where the duke. In its northern part, atop a conical mound, the the Dukes of Mazovia, Konrad of Mazovia and his which both the Romanesque and early-Gothic elements www.blonie.pl duke built a fortified tower made of stone, to be used as son Siemowit, frequently stayed. It is possible that have been preserved. The side aisles and part of the main a hiding place for the residents of the stronghold in the during a stay in Błonie, Konrad of Mazovia, look- aisle feature Gothic cross-ribbed vaults. The single-span event of an enemy invasion. However, the rampart, the ing from the rampart towards the northern border chancel has a late-Gothic diamond vault dating back to the The local area fortified tower and the Utrata River all proved insufficient of his Duchy, at the time under attack from the 16th century. The portrait of Duke Konrad II is considered RADZIEJOWICE in thwarting attacks. The stronghold was destroyed in the pagan Prussians, decided to send messengers to be incredibly valuable. Over time, a village developed second half of the 13th century, most likely by Lithuanians, over to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, next to the church and in 1380, Duke Janusz I granted The beautiful park, with its scenic lakeside location, is the who invaded Mazovia in 1262, killing Duke Siemowit I and Hermann von Salza. city privileges to it. A reminder of this ducal settlement is setting of a Neoclassical palace and a small Neo-Goth- abducting his older son Konrad. After the duke’s death, his the market square that has retained the mediaeval urban ic castle. Although small, the castle holds many centu- successors did not resume the idea of establishing Błonie layout. ries’ worth of history. It was built on the site of a former as the capital of their state. efforts to expand the church built in the mid-13th centu- ry. Despite all the damage sustained over the course of The grandson of Konrad of Mazovia looks the centuries, the roof and vault portion of the church has KATARZYNA RADZIEJOWSKA – mother in 1522, and two years later poisoned her lover. after the Romanesque Church of the Holy not changed. It is cur- RADZIEJOWICE’S FEMME FATALE The last Duke of Mazovia Janusz III died sudden-

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54 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 55 2 KAMPINOS White Town in the dukes’ forest KAMPINOS FOREST – HUNTING Route of the Siemowits GROUNDS FOR THE DUKES OF MAZOVIA In 1451, Duke Władysław I of Płock granted the cas- woods, the rulers often went hunting for big game: The first mention of Białe Miasto (White Town), known tellany of Sochaczew, together with Kampinos, to his deer, boar and elk. They also received proceeds from today as Kampinos, dates back to 1377. The name de- wife Anna. When King Casimir Jagiellon incorporated logging and leasing the forest areas against payment. rives from the white sand dunes. the Sochaczew Land into Poland, together with the There was also substantial demand for so-called mast forest region, the dukes controlling the eastern part pines, i.e. tall and straight pines used for building Dukes of Mazovia stayed in Kampinos during hunting trips of Mazovia, Janusz II and his brother Bolesław IV, ob- ships. Settlements did not start appearing in the forest in the forest. In 1414, the settlement received city privi- jected to his decision. It is unclear whether they were until late: records mention Kampinos in 1377, Wilków leges and Czestek of Kocięcin became its mayor. Mazo- protesting the loss of the entire Sochaczew Land, or in 1420 and Wiejca in 1489. After this territory was vian rulers were not the only ones to enjoy hunting in the the loss of a good hunting spot. incorporated into Poland, Kampinos Forest became

Route of the Siemowits Kampinos Forest. King of Poland Władysław Jagiełło was Up until 1476, i.e. until these territories were an- royal domain, i.e. the proceeds obtained from its use also known to chase after wild game around those parts. nexed by Poland, the Kampinos Forest belonged would go to the Polish treasury. The wooden Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Vir- to the Dukes of Mazovia. It derives its name from www.kampinoska.waw.pl gin Mary dates back to the age of the Duchy of Mazovia. the village of Kampinos. In remote corners of the www.kampinoski-pn.gov.pl The current church, built in the style of Polish Baroque in 1733-1782, made from pinewood sourced from the Kampi- nos Forest, is located on the site of the former mediaeval Neo-Gothic “castle” in Radziejowice church. Worth noting inside the church are the beautiful forest and to serve as a watchtower during Lithuanian and altars and the revered 17th-century image of the Madonna Ruthenian attacks in the 13th century. It may have been 15th-century manor. Preserved to this day are segments with Child – Our Lady of Kampinos. Opposite the church one of the strongholds preventing access to Błonie from of the rampart, dating back to the Middle Ages; they are are two oak trees, designated as natural monuments and the north. It was destroyed in a fire presumably started a reminder of the former residence of the Radziejowski known as Fryderyk Chopin and Stefan Wyszyński. by the invaders. family. They were an ancient and wealthy family, wrote Bartosz Paprocki, famous 16th century heraldist, about the Radziejowski family. Earlier, they served as senators 3 BROCHÓW of the Duchy of Mazovia, received high-profile posts from www.kampinos.pl The most remarkable fortified the dukes and then the kings, with Andrzej serving as the church in Mazovia castellan of Sochaczew. That same Andrzej had a daugh- ter, Katarzyna, who is remembered in the history of the Duchy of Mazovia as a figure suspected of poisoning its The small village of Brochów is famous for its forti- last rulers. fied church, where the parents of Frederic Chopin Remnants of the stronghold in Zamczysko got married and Frederic himself was baptised. The modern-day church was built on the site of a church www.radziejowice.pl that, according to legend, was built in the early 12th The local area century.

The local area ZAMCZYSKO STRONGHOLD In 1551, following an order from Warsaw wojski Jan CHLEBNIA Brochowski, of the Prawdzic Coat of arms, construction As you make your way through Kampinos Forest, do began on a new church, to be located on the site of the The small village of Chlebnia, near Grodzisk Mazowiec- consider visiting the “Zamczysko”, an area under strict former church. The reconstruction effort was carried out ki, is home to the remnants of a fortified city that existed protection, where you will find traces of a mediaeval, by the excellent architect, Giovanni Battista of Venice. in the 11th-13th century. It may have protected Błonie’s 13th-century stronghold. The cylindrical cone protected The construction process took 10 years and the church southern entrance. The rampart surrounding the town was Church in Kampinos by the rampart was surrounded by a moat. The role of was officially consecrated in 1596. After being destroyed 300 metres long. the stronghold was to defend the trail that ran through the by the in the 17th century, the church was rebuilt

56 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 57 in 1662-1665 by its then-owner Olbracht Adrian Lasocki, cylindrical towers were placed on the western side. At the Bolesław the Wrymouth divides the duke’s residence. The polygonal structure was made starost of Wyszogród. main aisle level, a two-story tunnel gallery with embra- Poland into provinces of brick and black stones. The residence as a whole was Route of the Siemowits The church is a three-aisle basilica. The chancel is closed sures stretches around the church, connecting the three composed of the rampart and wooden internal structures. with an apse above which a tower is positioned. This towers. The entire complex was surrounded by a rampart In 1138, Duke Bolesław III the Wrymouth died at the Bene- architectural design is practically unique in Poland. Two with proto-bastions. The basement level houses the sur- dictine Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Sochaczew. His Archaeologists solve the viving tombs of the Lasockis, who owned the village. death and his will, drafted in advance, contributed to the mysteries of the castle emergence of sovereign Mazovia. Had the duke not divid- ed Poland among his sons, Mazovia could not boast about The surviving ruins are the remnants of an early-Baroque its three centuries of independence. The site of the former castle from the early 17th century. However, as a result www.brochow.pl monastery is now marked with a commemorative cross. of archaeological efforts, traces of earlier structures built www.brochow-parafia.pl by Duke Siemowit were discovered. The castle was ex- Siemowit III builds a castle panded in the second half of the 15th century by Duch-

Route of the Siemowits on the Bzura River ess Anna of Oleśnica, mother of the tragically deceased 4 SOCHACZEW last Dukes of Płock, who ruled in the Sochaczew Land City where Near the area where a monastery was once located, on until 1476, and subsequently by Krzysztof of Szydłow- the history of sovereign Mazovia began a high cliff over the Bzura River, segments of the castle’s iec, who was one of Sochaczew’s starosts after the rampart have survived. The earliest settlements on Castle incorporation of the Sochaczew Land into Poland. In Hill (Wzgórze Zamkowe) date back to the 12th century. recent years, the castle’s ruins have been examined by The walls of the castle next to the Bzura River have In the first half of the following century, Duke Konrad of archaeologists, and they are currently being restored and witnessed historic events. It was here that, in 1377, Mazovia built a wood-and-earth stronghold. The settle- rebuilt. The “Nasz Zamek” (Our Castle) Association has Duke Siemowit III adopted the Sochaczew Statutes, ment grew rapidly due to its convenient location near an undertaken to examine and rebuild this most precious of an example of the first-ever codification of case law intersection of trade routes. In 1286, the city was burned Sochaczew’s landmarks. in Mazovia. In 1410, the Polish army marched past the down. It is not clear when exactly Sochaczew obtained stronghold en route to Grunwald, and four years later, city privileges. Most likely, it happened in the 13th century, the Sochaczew market square was the place where and certainly before 1324. As a result of efforts on the part Zawisza the Black, one of the most famous knights of Duke Siemowit III, in the second half of the 14th centu- www.sochaczew.pl in the Kingdom of Poland, declared war on the Teu- ry, a stone Gothic castle was built there, which served as www.naszzamek.pl tonic Order. The history of sovereign Mazovia began with the death of Duke Bolesław the Wrymouth in Sochaczew.

SOCHACZEW STATUTES The statutes adopted at the castle during an assembly of the dukes were the oldest writ- ten body of laws in Mazovia. In 1377, Siemowit III summoned to Sochaczew all of Mazovia’s voivodes, castellans, judges and ensigns. To- gether with his sons, Janusz and Siemowit IV, as well as Mazovia’s magnates, he adopted and codified a collection of laws for all of Mazovia, consisting of 17 articles that regulated both crim- inal and civil matters. Before that, court rulings were made on the basis of case law, church law, German law or through trial by ordeal. Church in Brochów Ruins of the castle in Sochaczew

58 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 59 5 GIŻYCE adorned with the wondrous image of Our Lady of Giżyce. WERE THE PŁOCK DUKES Small town, big politics What is now a palace and park complex of the Suski fam- POISONED? Route of the Siemowits ily was once a fortified manor built in 1439. The existing On New Year’s Eve of 1461, sixteen-year-old Duke as the feudal lord of the deceased dukes. The tower was erected over the foundations of an old tower Siemowit VI died heirless in Sanniki. Such a sudden late dukes’ aunt, Duchess Catherine, daughter of The owner of Giżyce, Bishop of Płock Paweł Giżycki, built by the bishop of Giżyce. death gave rise to speculation that he may have Siemowit IV, tried to defend those territories, which controlled all of Mazovia in the mid-15th century. been poisoned. Accusations were made against So- were at risk of seizure by Poland. For a brief pe- chaczew Castellan Gotard of Rybno, who had fallen riod of time, she had full power as a ruler, which Bishop and Politician into conflict with the Duke of Płock. Scholars are scep- was remarkable in the context of the Middle Ages. 6 SANNIKI tical of the poisoning theory. If Siemowit’s death was She also mounted an armed foray into the castle This small town was the setting for very important de- 550 years ago in Sanniki pure coincidence, fate certainly turned out to be cruel in Rawa Mazowiecka to fill it with knights who were cisions affecting the entire Duchy of Mazovia. All this for the Mazovian Piasts. loyal to the Mazovian court. However, as a result was due to bishop Paweł of Giżyce, of the Gozdawa When Siemowit’s younger brother, Władysław of pressure from the king, the Rawa and Gostynin

Route of the Siemowits Coat of arms (1400-1463), who became the regent in Traces of a manor were discovered in the park, II, died two months later, the Duchy of Płock lost Lands were incorporated into Poland. Consequent- Eastern Mazovia after the death of Duke Bolesław IV next to the 18th-century palace at which Freder- its last male heir to the throne. The land of West- ly, the dukes controlling Eastern Mazovia managed (1454) and also the regent in Western Mazovia after ic Chopin had been known to stay. It is possible ern Mazovia was being claimed by Polish King only to hold on to the land of Płock, Zawkrze and the death of Duke Władysław I (1455). The bishop was that this was a former residence of the Dukes of Casimir Jagiellon, referring to his entitlement thereto Wizna. an avid supporter of Mazovia’s independence and af- Płock, where a series of tragic events unfolded ter the death of Władysław of Varna, he began to lobby 550 years ago. for one of the Dukes of Mazovia to become King of Poland. Sleighs for the Dukes of Płock A near-sensation in the world 7 GOSTYNIN of archaeology Rebuilt castle, giant frog Bishop and Builder The first mention of Sanniki dates back to the 14th and ghost of a Russian century. The name of the city derives from the Polish During an excavation in the park surrounding the palace The bishop went down in history not only as a politician word for sleigh (“sanie”), made and delivered by the in October 2011, the archaeologists made a stunning dis- but also as a builder. Because of him, Pułtusk gained a residents to the duke’s manor in Płock. Historical re- covery: they had uncovered part of the foundations of the Until recently, a church stood in basilica, and his tiny home village of Giżyce gained two cords mention that, at the time, the settlement had a structure and part of the base of a furnace, and the stone the place of a castle built by Duke buildings: a Gothic church and a fortified manor. The church and a hunting manor for the Dukes of Mazo- corner bore traces of a wooden beam. All evidence sug- Siemowit IV. Now, the castle single-aisle Gothic Church of the Apostles St. Peter and via ruling the western part of the Duchy, the so-called gests that these are the remnants of a manor in which has been rebuilt and the old Paul was established in 1439. The Neo-Baroque altar is Płock Mazovia. the owners of Sanniki lived before they built the palace tower is haunted by the ghost that survived to this day. The manor was built on an artifi- of a Russian tsar. cial hill, possibly an older building. Was the older building the former manor of the Dukes of Mazovia? If it turns out The story of Bald that the recently-discovered manor was built atop a struc- Mountain ture erected by the rulers of Mazovia, it will cause a stir in the world of archaeology. This is because no one has The story of Gostynin began yet discovered a duke’s hunting manor in Mazovia. These in a place known as Bald types of manors, as we know from written records, were Mountain (Łysa Góra). A forti- located in various municipalities, and the dukes, who were fied city was built on the small avid hunters, often went into the woods to chase after wild stretch of land between the game. Czarne and Kocioł lakes. The city was then expanded by Duke Konrad of Mazovia. The stronghold, located www.sanniki.pl, www.ecasanniki.pl Palace in Sanniki – seat of the Frederic Chopin European Centre for Arts Tourist Information Centre Statue of Siemowit IV in Gostynin’s market square ul. Warszawska 142, tel. +48 24 268 11 08

60 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 61 The local area The local area CASTLE HAUNTED BY THE TSAR’S Swedish army and later his field marshal. An awful, RAWA ŁOWICZ Route of the Siemowits GHOST terrifying beast that we all looked at in great astonish- MAZOWIECKA The castle, destroyed in the late 18th century and ment, he wrote in his journal. Dahlberg immortalised Although Łowicz and the surrounding areas were locat- converted into an Evangelic church, after reconstruc- a number of Polish towns and castles in his drawings. The octagonal tower rising above the city is a remnant ed within the boundaries of the Duchy of Mazovia, they tion in 2009 became a castle once again. Out of the However, he did not draw the castle in Gostynin or the of a Gothic castle built in the 14th century. The structure belonged to the archbishops of Gniezno. In 1242, Duke original structure, only a segment of the rampart and scary creature hanging on its gate. was probably founded by Duke Siemowit III. The strong- Konrad of Mazovia issued a so-called “grand privilege” to the tower survived. The tower includes a dungeon in The castle’s tower also holds another mystery. It is be- hold, built on a quadrilateral plan, was intended to defend the archbishops of Gniezno, where the Łowicz properties which prisoners were once kept. According to oral ac- lieved that you can find the ghost of tsar Vasili Shuys- the southern border of Mazovia against enemy attack. It were called the castellany. In the 13th century, Łowicz was counts, the fate of those prisoners was terrible. They kiy of Russia. The tsar was the only Russian monarch is possible that one of the tragic events that unfolded in granted city privileges, and in the next century, Archbishop were allegedly, one-by-one, being devoured by a beast to ever pay homage to a Polish king. It was during Rawa Castle inspired William Shakespeare to write The Jarosław Bogoria Skotnicki built a castle there. He also reminiscent of a large frog. When it ran out of prison- the Time of Troubles, when Polish troops took over Winter’s Tale. received immunity from Duke Siemowit III, which guar-

Route of the Siemowits ers to eat, it looked for prey in the town. Does this the Kremlin. After coming to Poland, he and his entire anteed full independence of the lands from the Dukes of story contain the slightest grain of truth? Allegedly, the family moved into Gostynin Castle. That is also where Mazovia. The archbishop made only two concessions in monster’s hide, displayed on the city gate, was seen the entire family died. Plague is believed to have been favour of the duke: he agreed to pay one forfeit of gold in 1656 by Erik Dahlberg, quartermaster of the the cause of their death. www.rawamazowiecka.pl per year, to emphasise the duke’s titular superiority over Łowicz, and allowed the duke to retain the right to hunt for aurochs in the local forests.

on the border of Mazovia and Kuyavia and near the trade routes, played an important strategic role. In the late THE WINTER’S TALE 18th century, Gostynin became the subject of a dispute AT RAWA CASTLE www.lowicz.pl between Konrad’s grandsons: Bolesław II and his brother Alongside many virtues, Duke Siemow- Konrad II, who were engaged in a civil war in Mazovia for it III had two vices: he was very jealous 15 years The latter did not make a good name for him- and impulsive. When his wife, who was self in the history of Gostynin. In 1286, he conquered and 23 years his junior, became pregnant, the duke, burned down the city. suspecting infidelity, had her locked up in the tower of Rawa Castle. When the duchess gave Father and son build a stronghold birth to a son, Siemowit had the wife strangled in a different location and gave the son up to a poor family living in a village just outside Rawa Mazowiecka. Young The new stronghold was established south of Bald Moun- Henry was taken in by his stepsister, who raised tain. Siemowit III, the first Duke of Mazovia to use the title him in her manor in Słupsk. When Henry grew up, of Duke of Gostynin, had a fortified wooden tower built on he returned to his father’s court. Because of the the site of today’s castle. His son Siemowit IV built new striking resemblance between the two, Siemowit fortifications. The four-sided walls are reinforced with but- accepted him as his son and procured the office tresses at each corner. An entry gate has survived in the of bishop of Płock for him. eastern curtain wall. The castle became the favourite resi- These tragic occurrences, described by Jan of dence of the duke, who granted city privileges to Gostynin Czarnków in his chronicle, probably became the in 1382. Centuries later, the city’s residents expressed inspiration for Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. their gratitude to their ruler by erecting a statue of him in The English playwright merely changed the loca- the market square that he had designed. tion and nationality of the main protagonists.

Gostynin Castle Castle in Rawa Mazowiecka www.gostynin.pl

62 The Dukes of Mazovia Route 63 B

OSTRÓDA GRAJEWO PISZ I Biebrza IŁAWA SZCZYTNO MOŃKI SOKÓŁKA KOLNO GRUDZIĄDZ NOWE MIASTO LUBAWSKIE NIDZICA A The series WĄBRZEŹNO Publisher: Mazovian Regional Board of Tourism DZIAŁDOWO Narew ul. Nowy Świat 27/2,ŁOMŻA 00-029 Warszawa, www.mrot.pl also includes BRODNICA p. 24 tel.: +48 22 877 20 10, fax: +48 22 877 22 70 p. 34 GOLUB- OSTROŁĘKA -DOBRZYŃ MŁAWA ŻUROMIN Authors of the guidebook: Daniel Sukniewicz, Piotr Marczak BIAŁYSTOK Ł PRZASNYSZ ZAMBRÓW RYPIN TORUŃ Coordination: Renata Konewecka WYSOKIE Wisła p. 12 Opinogóra 3 MAKÓW Narew MAZ. SIERPC Assistant: MAZ. Adam Jasiński BIELSK PODLASKI

CIECHANÓW O ALEKSANDRÓW LIPNO Academic consultant: Dr. Szymon Drej, MuseumOSTRÓW of the MAZ. Battle of Grunwald KUJAWSKI PUŁTUSK WŁOCŁAWEK p. 52 PŁOŃSK Editing consultant:WYSZKÓW Magdalena Walusiak Bug PŁOCK Photography: Paweł Fabijański, Krystyna Falkowska, Daniel Sukniewicz NOWY Serock Foto Studio S. Wiraszka,4 MazovianSOKOŁÓW Regional Board of Tourism, manorhouse.pl,SIEMIATYCZE R GOSTYNIN 2 DWÓR MAZ. PODLASKI LEGIONOWO Polish BoardWĘGRÓW of Tourism, City Hall in Ostrów Mazowiecka, Euro Pilot Sp. z o.o., Zakroczym Hotel Zamek*** Dom Polonii in Pułtusk, Fryderyk Chopin European Artistic Centre WOŁOMIN 6 in Sanniki, Płock Town Hall, Diocesan Museum in Siedlce

OŻARÓW WARSZAWA U KOŁO Drawings:MAZ. Wojciech Wółkowski, ŁOSICE SOCHACZEW Błonie 1 SIEDLCE KUTNO GrzegorzMIŃSK Bakera MAZ.– reconstruction of the castle in Ciechanów ŁOWICZ GRODZISK OTWOCK MAZOWIECKI PRUSZKÓW ŁĘCZYCA Translation:p. 42 PIASECZNOLacrosse experts in translation BIAŁA

ŻYRARDÓW Justyna Horne – translator, Nicholas Paxford - editor PODLASKA ŁUKÓW Ś SKIERNIEWICE Design, drafting and editing:GARWOLIN Euro Pilot Sp. z o.o. ZGIERZ ul. Konarskiego 3, 01-355 Warsaw PODDĘBICE GRÓJEC www.europilot.com.pl RADZYŃ ŁÓDŹ BRZEZINY PODLASKI RAWA MAZ. 5 Project partners: Mazovia LocalRYKI Government, Mazovia Forum of Branches PARCZEWof the Polish Warsaw in the era of the Dukes Pilica TouristKOZIENICE and Country Lovers’ Society, Zielonkowskie Local Government Forum, 1 PABIANICE | p. 7 ofŁASK Mazovia TOMASZÓW BIAŁOBRZEGI MAZOWIECKI Nadbużańskie Heritage Foundation SIERADZ ZDUŃSKA Wieprz Route of Konrad of Mazovia LUBARTÓW WOLA2 | p. 13 - Western Part Warsaw, 2015 Free copy. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced BEŁCHATÓW OPOCZNO PRZYSUCHA ZWOLEŃ PUŁAWY ŁĘCZNA Route of Konrad of MazoviaPIOTRKÓW RADOM without the Publisher’s written consent. 3 | p. 25 - Eastern Part TRYBUNALSKI Chlewiska ŚWIDNIK Route of Duchess Anna and KOŃSKIE LIPSKO LUBLIN 4 | p. 35 SZYDŁOWIEC PAJĘCZNOthe last Dukes of Mazovia OPOLE Warta LUBELSKIE Wisła There is also an application for mobile devices 5 Route of Duke Janusz | p. 43 SKARŻYSKO- STARACHOWICE -KAMIENNA RADOMSKO KRASNYSTAW 6 Route of the Siemowits | p. 53 Project entitled “Tourist routes showcasingOSTROWIEC the cultural heritage of Mazovia”, co-fundedKRAŚNIK by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund, asŚWIĘTOKRZYSKI part of the Regional Operational Programme of the Mazowieckie Voivodship for 2007-2013, Priority 6.2 Tourism KŁOBUCK WŁOSZCZOWA KIELCE C Z E C H Y

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N I A R K U TABLE OF CONTENTS: The main branch of the rulers of Mazovia 2 Key dates 4 Warsaw in the era of the Dukes of Mazovia 7 Jazdów 8 Three Crosses Square (Plac Trzech Krzyży) 8 Church of St. Anna 8 Royal Castle 9 St. John’s Cathedral 10 City walls 10 House belonging to the Dukes of Mazovia 11 Zakroczym Street (Ulica Zakroczymska) 11 Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Western Part 13 Zakroczym 14 Czerwińsk 15 Wyszogród 17 Bodzanów 17 Płock 18 Drobin 21 Sierpc 22 Route of Konrad of Mazovia – Eastern Part 25 Serock 26 Pułtusk 26 Maków Mazowiecki 28 Przasnysz 30 Grudusk 31 Ciechanów 32 Opinogóra 33 Route of Duchess Anna and the last Dukes of Mazovia 35 Siedlce 36 Liw 36 Węgrów 38 THE DUKES Ostrów Mazowiecka 39 DOWNLOAD Route of Duke Janusz 43 APPLICATION Piaseczno 44 OF MAZOVIA ROUTE Czersk 45 Warka 46 Kozienice 47 Sieciechów 48 Iłża 49 tourist guide Szydłowiec 49 www.dziedzictwomazowsza.pl Chlewiska 51 Route of the Siemowits 53 Błonie 54 Kampinos 56 Brochów 57 Sochaczew 58 Giżyce 60 Sanniki 60 Project entitled “Tourist routes showcasing the cultural heritage of Mazovia”, co-funded by the European Union from Gostynin 61 the European Regional Development Fund, as part of the Regional Operational Programme of the Mazowieckie Voivodship for 2007-2013, Priority 6.2 Tourism