History
The name Tropszyn is mentioned for the first time in a document from 1390, referring to its owner Chebda from Tropsztyn. However, archaeological research has proven that the castle was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. One may assume that its founder was Gniewomir or his father Zbroslaw, the heir of Tropie village. The castle belonged to Chebda until 1535. Then Prokop Chebda sold the already deserted fortress to the Sandomierz castellar Piotr Kmita. Shortly thereafter, Robkowscy ruled the castle, then the Gabanski family, who probably rebuilt the fortress. At the beginning of the 17th century Tropsztyn was completely ruined.
Architecture
In the first phase, dating back to the turn of the 13th and 14th century, castle was erected on the rocky hill, towering over the left bank of the Dunajec River, on an irregular oval plan with an entrance gate in the north-east part. The perimeter wall of about 1.9 meters of thickness, was built of local sandstone. Its crowning was the porch of the guard, above which battlements and arrowslits. The interior was filled with timber buildings. In the second phase from the end of the 14th century, on the southern part of the wall, a stone residential building was erected on an irregular, rectangular plan. It probably had two storeys and basement.
In the next phase of the 15th century, the defense system was strengthened by the tower on a square projection, built in the northwest corner. It was supported by a massive buttress in the corner, and had five storeys, including a cellar and an overhanging timber porch with hoarding. At that time, the western part of the peripheral wall was demolished and the new one was moved westward. In the 15th century a single-storey building on the eastern part of the wall was erected. It was probably an economic use. In the sixteenth century the northern range was built with an inner courtyard on the west side. The old entrance was walled up, and the new one was made in the wall by the tower.
Current state
The castle has not survived to modern times. Until the 90’s on the castle hill there were only relics of its ground floor. At that time, after the privatization, it was rebuilt, or actually a completely new building was erected using also modern methods and materials. Unfortunately, as a result of another stupid decision, a helicopter landing pad was installed at the “castle”.
bibliography:
Kołodziejski S., Średniowieczne rezydencje obronne możnowładztwa na terenie województwa krakowskiego, Warszawa 1994.
Leksykon zamków w Polsce, red. L.Kajzer, Warszawa 2003.
Moskal K., Zamki w dziejach Polski i Słowacji, Nowy Sącz 2004.