

h

e first mention of the Bełżyce village goes from the 14th century. The castle was erected probably by Spytek of Tarnów before 1416. In 1417 Bełżyce were granted civic rights. In the mid-15th century Bełżyce belonged to the Pilecki family of the house of Leliwa. In 1446 Polish noblemen gathered here to discuss the election of Kazimierz Jagiellończyk for a king. In the 16th century the Bełżyce estates belonged to the Orzechowski family. In the late 16th century a school and an Arian church was established in the castle. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries the castle was abandoned. In 1829 the fortifications were pulled down and the remains of the castle buildings were used to build a brewery and a distillery here. During the World War II the brewery building was adapted for a dairy. In the
still existing buildings the bottom parts of the castle walls have survived and some of the barrel vaulting.