About Castle in Mielnik
The first fortifications on Castle Hill in Mielnik were probably built on the orders of the Ruthenian princes at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries. In the mid-14th century, Lithuania took over control of these areas. The first mention of the stronghold dates back to 1379. At the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, these areas passed into the hands of Poles from Mazovia several times and then returned to Lithuanian rule.
In 1408, the stronghold finally came under the rule of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Vytautas. This ruler ordered the construction of a wooden upper castle and a lower castle, as well as a bailey, on the site of the former stronghold. The buildings were mostly made of wood, on brick stone basements. A brick and wooden residential part (tower) was built on the upper castle, surrounded by wooden and stone fortifications with two towers. Both sections were separated by a basement building with a gate.
In 1420, on the site of the former chapel, Vytautas founded a brick church in the lower castle. The late Gothic brick and stone hall church was built on a rectangular plan. A preserved fragment of the former Gothic portal can still be seen in the main western elevation.
After Vytautas’ death, the castle briefly became the property of the Duke of Mazovia, but in 1444 it was bought by the Grand Duke of Lithuania (later also King of Poland) Casimir IV Jagiellon. On the king’s orders, a brick northern tower was built and the earth and wooden fortifications were raised. The town of Mielnik was founded near the castle. Located at the border of Lithuania and the Crown, Mielnik Castle became one of the most important residences, often visited by subsequent rulers: the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and the Kings of Poland.
During the reign of Sigismund the Old and his successor, Sigismund Augustus, the castle and the church were rebuilt in the Renaissance style. The towers, ramparts, and the tower of the castle were dismantled, and in their place, a magnificent wooden palatium with residential apartments for the king was built. In 1560, the castle burned down, leaving only a brick gate and a church.
A wooden manor house was later built in place of the burnt castle, which was destroyed during the wars in the mid-17th century. No trace of the castle remained except for fragments of walls and the ruins of the church. The church was rebuilt in the Baroque style at the beginning of the 18th century, and a rectory was also built at that time.
After the January Uprising, around 1865, the site of the upper castle was filled with at least six meters of earth by the Russian occupiers in order to build a small chapel. This completely changed the landscape. The former castle church was first transformed into an Orthodox church, and then burned down in 1915 during the retreat of Russian troops. It has remained a ruin ever since.
Address: 17-307 Mielnik, ul. Brzeska 87
Useful tourist information:
https://podlasie.siemiatycze.pl/71-siematycze-wzgorze-zamkowe-w-mielniku
https://podlasie.siemiatycze.pl/74-siematycze-ruiny-kosciola-zamkowego-w-mielniku
https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/mielnik-ruiny-kosciola
https://mielnik.eu/co-zobaczyc.html