A New Strategy of Preservation of The Ideal Renaissance Town of Zamosc in Poland Alicja Szmelter Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Warsaw. Poland The paper will present and discuss a new strategy proposed for the preservation of Zamosc. Zamosc with its 50 thousand inhabitants is a rather small, provincial town of Poland, situated far from the main trading roads in the southeastern part of the country, near to the Polish-Ukrainian border. Despite its size and remote location the Polish and international specialists have recognized the unique value of its Old Town, as a rare example of the Renaissance ideal town, and in 2002 Zamosc was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Renaissance Old Town was developed mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries and left almost untouched in its historic form till today. Consequently, plans to develop it are drawing exceptional attention from the Polish urban planners and conservationists A new strategy to preserve and maintain the cultural heritage of Zamosc is based on the principle that the Old Town should be a source of funds for the town, rather than of consuming its budget. Some basic principles of the strategy for the Old Town of Zamosc. The strategy is a continuation of the earlier, recently executed plan allowed by easing of the earlier conservationist restrictions. For instance, new attractive building lots have been provided in a historic core with the aim of attracting the developers to invest in the Old Town. The lots were not built on since the erection of the town in the 16th century. These building lots are to be filled in with small hotels and school edifices, preferably in forms that will blend well with the historic style. There are already some positive signs showing that the strategy of the more flexible conservationist approach to the protection of the Old Town of Zamosc was well chosen. The authorities of the town of Zamosdc hope that the new functions will generate income that will fund improvements to the existing condition of its historic structure. [email protected] 1 1 Introduction In 2004 a majority of Polish towns will obtain a new development plan that will become local law for the next ten years. One of them, Zamosc, with its 50 thousand inhabitants, is a relatively small town situated in the southeast part of Poland, close to the Ukrainian border. The Old Town of Zamosc is one of a few fully realized in Europe Renaissance Ideal Towns and is regarded as a great monument of Polish history. In 2002, the town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, a tribute to its international significance. As a consequence the development plan for Zamosc is drawing exceptional attention among Polish urban planners, historians of urban structure and conservationists. This is Zamosc’s first entirely new development plan since the change of the economic system in Poland. A prior plan, which dates back to 1973, had been updated only several times, since 1989. Zamosc’s new development plan is more advanced than those of other Polish towns hence the raised overall interest. The plan incorporates sustainable development – a relative novelty in Polish urban planning. Because of this, the municipalities of the other Polish towns are carefully following the preparations of this plan. Zamosc is not an ordinary town – it is distinguished by containing its original Old Town - “the pearl of the Renaissance town planning”. (Illustration 1) 2 The economy there is, however, similar to other small Polish towns. Zamosc has a high unemployment rate (30% in 2003) – that augmented rapidly after the closure of most of the industrial enterprises in the town, not profitable in the changed economic system. High unemployment is additionally caused by the town losing its position as the regional center in 1990, a consequence of the new administration division of Poland. The harder economic circumstances created the problem of upkeep of the precious historic structures; the local authorities could no longer rely on financial support for the conservation works that had been provided by the central budget in communist times. Finance for conservation gradually diminished, drying up since 1985. The danger of neglect of the historic structures resulted in the need to demonstrate (especially to the local community) that the cultural values of the Old Town should warrant fund-raising to support the upkeep. Specific of the Old Town of Zamosc, the new development plan incorporates a strategy to protect the historic structures that allows a flexible approach with regard to conservationist restrictions. 2 The Old Town in Zamosc – its structure and function The Old Town of Zamosc together with its renaissance fortifications is an island (with the approx measurements of 600 m by 400 m) amid 20th century districts, isolated by the broad stripe of its 19th century fortification. The spatial distinction is enhanced by the fact that the Old Town is surrounded by the glacis (the field of fire) - circa 400 m wide. This green belt forms a visible buffer zone. The ring of fortifications remained untouched courtesy of conservationists regulations implemented in the late 1930’s. Thanks to this protection, the Old Town of Zamosc can be regarded today as a full size model of the Renaissance structure – almost untouched as it concerns the original master plan and major architectural features of its official buildings together with its burgher houses. The ring of 19th century fortifications has also been preserved until now in an almost untouched state, making its listing on the World Heritage List well deserved. 3 The uniqueness of the Old Town of Zamosc lies in the homogeneity of its structure. Much of the town’s architecture was built in a short 20-year span, allowing substantial harmony between the master plan and the functional aspects of the town. Zamosc was erected in 1580 as the center of the one of the biggest feudal estates in Poland. Jan Zamoyski (1542-1605), its founder and owner, was a magnate of exceptional political power. He was the royal Chancellor and Great Hetman of the Crone (the Head of the Polish Army), and one of the richest men in Poland. Educated in Padova, influenced by the humanist culture of Italy, in 1578 he engaged the architect Bernardo Morando (1540?-1600) from Padova to create a town that was supposed to became both administrative center for the owner’s latifundium and a center for trade between Eastern and Central Poland. Strict geometrical interrelations ruled the Renaissance layout of the residential town and its fortifications. The street pattern is orthogonal with the main east-west axis linking the residence (the palace) with the main square market place (100 x 100 m). Two additional markets (50 x 50 m) are linked with the main one with the north-south axis. Arcades surround the main market square, and in its northern façade the town hall was erected in 1591. (1) The town was further developed in the 17th and 18th centuries, when the town structure was completed. As a part of the Renaissance fortification system the architect Morando set an artificial lake (with the surface 8 times bigger that the surface of the town itself) which surrounded the bastions and curtains of Zamosc from the south and west sides. In 19th century (1809-1866), Zamosc as a whole was turned into a stronghold. The 20th century town was extended outside the field of fire. In the 1950’s a typical “social – realistic” style complex of blocks of flats, contiguous to the ring of 19th century fortifications, was erected to the north. Fortunately, the blocks were not higher than the historic buildings of the Old Town. The industrial district has developed since the 19th century, to the north of the Old Town and has not interfered with the townscape. As mentioned previously, the Old Town remained an island, thanks to the early protection of its fortifications. The modern 20th century districts, consisting of huge blocks of flats — typical for Poland — fortunately were erected far outside the conservation protection zone – unlike in the vast majority of historic towns of Poland. Although the Old Town of Zamosc is only a small (4000 inhabitants) part of the overall town, it is still the center for city life. The municipality has its seat in the town hall, the administration is placed in the renovated burgher houses, and two museums, art galleries, best restaurants, pubs and two hotels, together with the one secondary school, are also there. 3 The assumptions of the strategy of the sustainable development of Zamosc In 1999, a team led by professor Wies?aw Anders from Gda?sk University of Technology prepared the study for the strategic plan of the development of the whole town of Zamosc. (2) The strategy encompasses both the historic structures, and the structures developed so far outside protected zone. The main change (compared to the 1973 plan, dating back to the communist era) lies in an appraisal of the town’s prospects. The development will no longer focus on the spatial growth, nor on the industry, but on the amendment of the existing structures and on the use of the local advantages. The main goals for the future development include: commerce, education and tourism. This selection is significant because these three activities are the traditional key activities in Zamosc. Jan Zamoyski, the founder and original owner of Zamosc, while planning of the town in 1580, included a road that served the merchants from Ukraine and East to get to central Poland, in such a way that they had to stop in his residential town. During centuries Zamosc’s Old Town became the commercial center of the region.