Zolotyi Potik Castle

Zolotyi Potik Castle is a prominent defensive structure built at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries by the Bratslav Voivode Stefan Potocki and his wife Maria Amalia Mohylianka-Potocka. The castle, whose construction was completed about 400 years ago, is located on a hill in the center of the town of Zolotyi Potik. It is a striking example of the regular fortification of Podillia, having a square shape with massive five-sided corner towers. The castle was built of local dark red sandstone, and its fortress walls were about two meters thick. In the middle of the northeastern wall, there is a three-story square entrance gate decorated with stone framing and the "Pilawa" coat of arms of the Potocki family. The northwestern side of the complex was formed by a one-story rectangular palace, which had a vaulted basement. The influence of the Renaissance style can be traced in the castle, particularly in the carving of the window frames. In 1672, the fortress was captured by Turkish-Tatar troops, and in 1676, it was significantly destroyed by explosives. After a partial reconstruction in the early 18th century, the castle served as a residential estate. However, in the 19th century, its walls suffered significant damage from the owner, Olszewski, who used white stone details to build a new Classicist-style palace with Neo-Gothic accents. To this day, three corner towers, the gate tower, and most of the walls have survived, although the palace is in a semi-ruined state. Since 2008, the castle has been a part of the National Reserve "Castles of Ternopillia".