Szlaki województw śląskiego i opolskiego

The Palace in Żyrowa was built in the first half of the 17th century by the starosta of the Duchy of Opole-Racibórz, Count Melchior Ferdinand von Gaschin, who contributed to bringing the Franciscans and founding the monastery on St. Anne's Mountain. The edifice was created using the walls of the earlier ancestral seat of the Żyrovskis, who received the village as a grant from Emperor Frederick III for merits in the war with the Turks, and is considered one of the largest early Baroque buildings in the Opole region. At the end of the 19th century, the palace became the property of an American millionaire, who bought it as a wedding gift for his daughter Mary Knowlton. Her husband, Count Johann von Francken-Sierstorpff, carried out a thorough renovation of the building, restoring it to its former glory. At that time, the palace became a meeting place for the Silesian aristocracy, hosting, among others, Emperor Wilhelm II. Being the headquarters of insurgents during the 3rd Silesian Uprising, the building was completely plundered. During World War II, the military archive of the Third Reich was located in the palace. After the end of hostilities, the building was the seat of the State Agricultural Farm, and then a sanatorium for children was located in it. Currently, the object is private property. Practical information: The palace is not open to visitors. Free parking spaces directly in front of the facility.