Knight Tower
| Knight Tower | |
|---|---|
 The structure in 2025. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Defensive tower |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| Location | Warsaw, Poland |
| Address | Rycerska Street |
| Coordinates | 52°14′55.4″N 21°00′37.1″E / 52.248722°N 21.010306°E |
| Completed | 14th century |
| Renovated | 1958–1963 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
The Knight Tower (Polish: Baszta Rycerska), also known as the Knight House (Polish: Dom Rycerski), is a historic Gothic defensive tower in Warsaw, Poland, at Rycerska Street, in the inner city wall of the Old Town, between Piekarska and Wąski Dunaj Streets. It was built in the 14th century, before 1339, and later expanded at the turn of the 16th century. In 1614, it was turned into a residential building, and it was restored to its historic form between 1958 and 1963.
History
[edit]The tower was probably constructed before 1339, as part of the inner city wall of Old Warsaw.[1] It was used by the city guards.[2] The structure was built in a Gothic style, with a square base and four storeys, and lacking a back wall, which would face the town. [3] It had wooden ceilings supported on side wall offsets.[1] After 1379, it was expanded with another storey, featuring embrasures, which were later remodelled in the second half of the 15th century, or at the beginning of the 16th century.[1][2] At the turn of the 17th century, the holes above the first storey were bricked up.[1] In 1614, the city sold it to Adam Leszczyński, who turned it into a residential building.[2][4]
The tower was damaged in the Second World War, with an upper half of its southern wall being destroyed. It was renovated between 1958 and 1963. This included the reconstruction of the destroyed wall, restoration of the previously covered embrasures, and clearing out the artefacts of its residential past.[1] In 1965, it was entered into the regional heritage list.[5]
The nearby Rycerska Street (Polish: Ulica Rycerska, lit. Knight Street), was named after the tower.[6] The name was first attested in the 18th century.[7]
Overview
[edit]The brick defensive tower has a square base and is five stories tall. The structure faces to the southeast and lacks a back wall. Its façade features numerous embrasures. On the inside, it has wooden ceilings supported on side wall offsets. The structure is attached to a short remaining portion of the historic inner city wall.[1][3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Jerzy Łoziński, Andrzej Rottermund (editors): Katalog zabytków sztuki. Miasto Warszawa. Część I – Stare Miasto. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Artystyczna i Filmowe, 1993, p. 118. ISBN 83-221-0628-9. (in Polish)
- ^ a b c Szkice staromiejskie. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Sztuka, 1955, p. 71. (in Polish)
- ^ a b Encyklopedia Warszawy. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 1994, p. 48–49. ISBN 83-01-08836-2. (in Polish)
- ^ Maria Lewicka: Atlas architektury Starego Miasta w Warszawie. Warsaw: Arkady, 1992, p. 43. ISBN 83-213-3512-8. (in Polish)
- ^ Wykaz zabytków nieruchomych wpisanych do rejestru zabytków (księga A) - stan na 31 marca 2025 roku. Woj. mazowieckie. Warsaw: National Institute of Cultural Heritage, 2025, p. 30. (in Polish)
- ^ Kwiryna Handke: Słownik nazewnictwa Warszawy. Warsaw: Slawistyczny Ośrodek Wydawniczy, 1998, p. 181. ISBN 83-86619-97X. (in Polish)
- ^ Kwiryna Handke: Dzieje Warszawy nazwami pisane. Warsaw: Muzeum Historyczne m.st. Warszawy, 2011, s. 178. ISBN 978-83-62189-08-3. (in Polish)
- 14th-century establishments in Poland
- Towers completed in the 14th century
- 14th-century fortifications
- Buildings and structures in Warsaw
- Old Town, Warsaw
- Gothic architecture in Poland
- Objects of cultural heritage in Warsaw
- Fortified towers
- Fortifications in Poland
- Towers in Poland
- Residential buildings in Warsaw
- Restored and conserved buildings
- Tourist attractions in Warsaw
- Military history of Warsaw
- Brick buildings and structures