Green Velo

The Tomasz Zieliński Palace was built between 1846 and 1858, using the walls of utility buildings belonging to the Palace of the Kraków Bishops. In the middle of the 19^th century, it was owned by the Head of the Kielce District, Tomasz Zieliński, who added a neo-Gothic tower, an orangery and a fortified tower in 1851-57.

The inner courtyard was a romantic park enclosed with a wall and a tower called Plotkara (“Gossip”). An avid art patron, Zieliński developed a rich collection of paintings (more than 400 of them, including works by Canaletto, Cranach, Rubens and Michałowski), medals, weapons and a vast library. After his death, the collection was dispersed.

Since 1985, the Palace has been home to the Centre of Creative Communities (Dom Środowisk Twórczych), including local painters, writers, photographers, musicians, etc. The Palace is full of activity all year round, with new exhibitions of paintings, art or photography presented every month. The Palace also promotes new artists in the region, invites renowned artists and well-known figures from the world of culture, science and journalism. Live music can be heard in the garden every Sunday evening from May to October. Since 30 May 2005, the Palace has also been home to the Museum of Contemporary Sacred Art called “Dom Praczki” (literally, the House of the Washerwoman). Founded thanks to the initiative of Leszek Mądzik, it is the only such institution in Poland and perhaps even in the world. In addition to the cultural programming, the Palace has a restaurant and a cafe offering fine cuisine, as well as guest rooms and a beautiful garden in the middle of the oldest city park in Poland.