Pidgoretsky Castle

Pidgoretsky Castle is one of Europe's finest examples of a combination of Renaissance palace with fortified bastion.
Castle was built under the guidance of renowned architect Andre del Akvy and Hilyom le Vasser Beauplan where in 1635-1640 he was on the orders of the Crown Hetman Stanislaw Konetspolskikh, one of the greatest magnates of the Rzech Pospolita. Later the owners were Jakub Sobieski, Radziwiłł and Zhevuski Families. It is for Zhevuski Family this palace was called "Polish Versailles".

It should be noted that although the palace was surrounded by ramparts and ditches, it had its own bastion fortifications and arsenal but it was not a very serious defense building at all. This castle was the residence of the magnates, and fortifications had rather ornamental value. For months the orchestral music was played there, parties and military parades were held. Castle was famous for exquisite interiors, rich art collections and numerous books in library. Pidgoretsky castle has a very old sundial.

Pidgoretsky castle is now a branch of the Lviv Art Gallery. Everyone or almost everyone has seen it before perhaps not even knowing that it is located in Ukraine. In the film, "D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers" Pidgoretsky Castle played the role of the Louvre.