Zawiercie

Zawiercie County (Polish: powiat zawierciański) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Zawiercie, which lies 41 kilometres (25 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice. The county contains five other towns: Poręba, 6 km (4 mi) west of Zawiercie, Łazy, 8 km (5 mi) south of Zawiercie, Ogrodzieniec, 9 km (6 mi) south-east of Zawiercie, Szczekociny, 33 km (21 mi) north-east of Zawiercie, and Pilica, 18 km (11 mi) east of Zawiercie. The county covers an area of 1,003.27 square kilometres (387.4 sq mi). As of 2019 its total population was 118,020. The most populated towns are Zawiercie with 49,334 inhabitants and Poręba with 8,525 inhabitants.

Stadion 1000-lecia Państwa Polskiego (English: 1000th-Anniversary of Polish State Stadium) is a multi-use stadium in Zawiercie, Poland. The stadium has a capacity of 1500 people and was opened in 1966. The stadium is a home for Warta Zawiercie.

Rudniki [rudˈniki] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Włodowice, within Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) south of Włodowice, 3 km (2 mi) north-east of Zawiercie, and 43 km (27 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice.

Kądzielów [kɔnˈd͡ʑɛluf] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łazy, within Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland.

Skałka [ˈskau̯ka] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Włodowice, within Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) south-west of Włodowice, 4 km (2 mi) north of Zawiercie, and 43 km (27 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice.

Kopaniny [kɔpaˈninɨ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Włodowice, within Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) south-west of Włodowice, 5 km (3 mi) north of Zawiercie, and 44 km (27 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice.

Kuźnica Masłońska (Polish pronunciation: [kuʑˈɲit͡sa maˈswɔj̃ska]) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łazy, within Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) north of Łazy, 5 km (3 mi) south of Zawiercie, and 37 km (23 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice.

Markowizna [markɔˈvizna] is a village in the Gmina Ogrodzieniec, Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. It lies approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) north-west of Ogrodzieniec, 5 km (3 mi) south-east of Zawiercie, and 41 km (25 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice.

Turza [ˈtuʐa] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łazy, within Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi) north of Łazy, 6 km (4 mi) south-west of Zawiercie, and 36 km (22 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice.

Parkoszowice [parkɔʂɔˈvit͡sɛ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Włodowice, within Zawiercie County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It lies approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Włodowice, 6 km (4 mi) north-east of Zawiercie, and 46 km (29 mi) north-east of the regional capital Katowice.

Włodowice Palace is a ruined palace situated in Włodowice, Poland. It was built on the spot of a wooden manor owned by the Firlej family. The first building was destroyed during the Polish-Swedish war in 1655-1660 (called "The Deluge"). The brick and stone palace was founded by the castellan of Kraków, Stanisław Warszycki at the end of 17th century (between 1669 and 1681). It was a two-storey baroque building with basements and an attic, covered with a mansard roof. It can be seen as a representation of an entre cour et jardin type of manor. In front of the palace there used to be a court with the entrance gate and behind the building there was a garden situated on the slope of the hill. In the 18th century the palace was owned by the Męciński family who redecorated the insides in classicist style. In the 1850s the new owners of the palace were the Poleski family. Michał Poleski, scientist and insurgent of the January Uprising in 1863, created a private agronomic school that was located on the second storey of the palace. One of the chambers was changed into a chemistry and physics laboratory, another one contained a library. The school existed here between 1870 and 1880. Probably around the turn of the 20th century the palace was rebuilt in a neogothic style. The last owner of the palace was Countess Maria Elwira O’Rourke, from a Polish noble family of Irish origin. She left Włodowice probably in 1927 or 1928, selling the palace to a local family. The present condition of the palace is a result of two fires that occurred in 1935 and 1956, along with negligent ownership.