For sale is a beautiful palace in Dołhobyczów, a classical ensemble with gallery wings in the Lublin Voivodeship of Poland, ready for reconstruction.
History of the Palace
The first mention of the manor in Dołhobyczów dates back to "Księgi grodzkie horodelskie" from 1731. It states that in 1688, the current owners Piotr and Jan Skrzetuski divided the estate. Grzymała Skrzetuski received half of the lands, while the other half, including the manor with its garden and orchard, went to Anna Skrzetuska. This marks the oldest mention of the manor (later palace) in Dołhobyczów. The oldest part of today's palace, likely from this period, is the basement, distinguished by its different building material (constructed from different bricks compared to the rest of the manor).
Further information about the palace comes from its period of greatest splendor when the Rastawiecki family, bearing the Sas coat of arms, owned the Dołhobyczów lands. In 1782, Count Andrzej Rastawiecki acquired the Dołhobyczów lands with the manor from the Stróżewski family. On his recommendation, the former manor was expanded into a one-story palace. After Andrzej Rastawiecki's death in 1809, the village was inherited by his widow Katarzyna, and subsequently by their son Ludwik Rastawiecki - marshal and deputy of the Tomaszów district. Upon Ludwik Rastawiecki's death in 1847, the estate was inherited by his son Edward Rastawiecki - a renowned art historian, archaeologist, and collector. During Edward's lifetime, in 1837 (still during Ludwik Rastawiecki's life), the manor was significantly expanded at Edward Rastawiecki's request. The expansion project was undertaken by the famous Italian designer Antonio Corazzi, known for buildings such as the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, the "Staszic Palace," and the palace of the Provincial Commission of Sandomierz in Radom. During the reconstruction of the palace complex in Dołhobyczów, Corazzi collaborated with architect Antoni Beck. The palace was raised by one floor, and two basement wings were added on both sides. A stable with a tower, a two-story granary, and a steward's house were built. Additionally, a palace park was established.
In 1870, Dołhobyczów with its palace complex was acquired from Edward Rastawiecki by the Warsaw banker Mieczysław Epstein, who sold it in 1896 to Władysław and Maria Świeżawski. During World War I, the interiors of the palace were devastated. In the interwar period, the Świeżawski family tried to restore the palace to its former glory. They purchased antique furniture from various epochs, brought family treasures and artworks (including paintings by Juliusz and Wojciech Kossak) to the palace. During World War II, the owners buried valuable items on the palace grounds and left the estate. In 1944, during battles with Germans and Ukrainian nationalists, the palace complex was burned down. In 1946, as part of agrarian reform, the palace with its park was integrated into the State Agricultural Farm in Dołhobyczów.
In 1977, the documentation necessary for the reconstruction of the palace was completed, and in 1982, the Zamojskie Conservation Workshops began revitalization work covering the palace, park, and granary. After revitalization, there were plans to transform the palace into a service and educational facility, resembling a community center, but most of these plans were not realized, limited to the reconstruction of the facade while the interiors remained unfinished.
Future Use
One of the possible adaptations for the palace is its conversion into a hotel. This adaptation was developed as a diploma thesis by architect Mariole Budek from the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Theory of Architecture, History, and Conservation of Monuments. The thesis was supervised by Prof. Aleksandra Satkiewicz-Parczewska. The author of the adaptation is ready to continue cooperation with the new owner.
