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Wieś Włodowice
The ruins of the palace in Włodowice lie in the Zawiercie district, in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. The grand residence was built on the initiative of Stanisław Warszycki, castellan of Kraków, and over the following centuries belonged to families such as the Męcińskis and the Szembeks. Today the walls and the readable outline of the complex survive, surrounded by greenery.
In the 19th century the estate passed to Michał Poleski, who founded a library here and assembled a collection of minerals and natural specimens. The agricultural school he established, together with chemical and physical laboratories, attracted scholars, and Włodowice earned the nickname of the Athens of the Olkusz region. Fires in the early 20th century sealed the building's decline.
The ruins are freely accessible and popular with lovers of abandoned sites, but they have not been secured by conservators. Approach the walls carefully, especially after rain and with children. A visit is a short walk among the walls rather than a full tour of interiors.
