The Zamosc Academy has undergone a real metamorphosis. The recent renovation of the building is an investment that Zamość has been waiting for for a very long time. The impressive early baroque edifice was rebuilt in the first half of the 19th century, losing most of its decoration at that time. Over the following decades, its condition continued to deteriorate. In autumn 2019, work began to restore the former academy building to its lost appearance.
The Zamojska Academy, founded by Jan Zamoyski in 1594, was a secular university organised by Szymon Szymonowic for students from Poland and Lithuania. The school was closed down in 1784 after Zamość was occupied by the Austrians during the first partition of Poland. Subsequently, barracks were located in the building, and after World War II the interior was used for educational purposes. In the recent past it housed the Jan Zamoyski First High School. Under a law signed by the President in September 2021, a public university named ‘Zamojska Akademia Zamojska’ was established on the basis of the existing Szymon Szymonowic State University in Zamość.
The academy after renovation. Photo: zamosc.pl
The works aimed at rebuilding the existing body of the building, restoring the historical spatial layout of the rooms and performing a superstructure by reconstructing the mansard roof. These measures made the monument look again as it did in its heyday, i.e. as it did in the second half of the 18th century, and additionally functional. The conservation work carried out in the interiors and on the facades made it possible to protect the preserved historical elements.
The Academy before and after the renovation. Photo: Wiesław Smyk/photopolska.eu, Licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0 and zamosc.pl
During renovation work, 18th-century polychromes were discovered inside. The walls and the vault were subjected to conservation and restoration work. The work carried out stopped the degradation of the historic substance and partially restored the historic forms and decoration in the former academy hall. Thanks to the measures taken, better-preserved fragments of polychrome were reconstructed on the walls and ceilings without significant defects. The restored 18th-century paintings, dedicated to the life of St. John Kante, were displayed to showcase Zamość’s rich cultural heritage.
The courtyard before and after renovation. Photo: Leośś/photopolska.eu, Licence: CC-BY 4.0 and zamosc.pl
Some of the rooms have been adapted for the museum exhibition “History of the Zamojska Academy and the academic printing house”, and the entire attic has been allocated for cultural and educational purposes, i.e. for the Zamojska Academy of Culture. The contractor for the works was LUBREN Sp. z o.o. from Lublin. They were co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment 2014 – 2020.
Source: zamosc .eu, zamosc.pl, dzieje.pl
Read also: Zamosc | Architecture | Elevation | Metamorphosis | City | History | Architecture in Poland
