During archaeological excavations at the Ruzhany Palace complex, specialists discovered the foundations of two towers of the original Sapieha castle dating from the late 16th to early 17th century, the Pruzhany District Executive Committee in the Brest Region told BGmedia.
One of them, the north-eastern corner tower, was studied by archaeologists in the 1990s and was uncovered again this year for a detailed examination of its structure.
The second, southern tower was discovered accidentally during restoration work. Archaeological research subsequently confirmed that the original castle of Leu Sapieha had three towers.
According to inventory records, Leu Sapieha’s study was located in the corner tower, while the southern tower housed a chapel. Both towers, like the entire castle, served defensive purposes.
Archaeological work is being carried out alongside the restoration of Ruzhany Palace, which has been under way since 2008. By the end of the year, specialists plan to determine a concept for turning the main building into a museum. After that, visitors will be able to walk through its grounds and imagine what the castle looked like in the time of Leu Sapieha.
Sapieha began building the castle in Ruzhany in 1602. Restoration of the Ruzhany Palace complex has been under way since 2008. During this period, the central entrance gate, the side wings housing a museum and the north-eastern arcade have been restored. Exterior restoration work on the two-storey Eastern, or Theatre, Building has also been completed. The building is planned to house museum halls, collection storage facilities, a hotel and a café.
