Even though extensive research has been carried out through the years, historians have been unable to fully explain all aspects of the complex.
No documents have been preserved that have enabled the determination of either the date of commencement of the castle's construction or the date of its completion.
The name of the architect is also unknown.
Krzysztof Ossoliński was enamoured with black magic; while the unique symmetry of the castle is evident even in its ruined state, the hidden meanings that may have been incorporated into virtually every part of the castle are not obvious.

The very name of the complex is a mysterious one.
Krzysztof Ossoliński officially named it Krzysztofory, which is derived from Latin word Christophoros.
Later, the name changed to Krzyżtopór, which is a compounding of two Polish words – krzyż ("cross", a symbol of the Catholic faith and Ossoliński's policies) and topór ("axe", the charge from the family's coat of arms).
Both symbols can be seen on the gate of the castle.
Also, above the gate there is the date 1631, but to what this date refers has not been firmly established.

The castle, built by Swiss engineer Wawrzyniec (Lawrence) Senes (probably born in Sent, Switzerland), is a typical example of the so-called palazzo in fortezza – an intermingling of both palace and fortress.
The total size of the complex is 1.3 hectares; the length of the perimeter walls is 700 meters; the total area of all interior rooms is around 70 000 square meters.
The basic design was based on the palace of Cardinal Alexander Farnese, located in the Italian village of Caprarola.
Reportedly, the castle once had 365 windows (as many as days of the year), 52 rooms (as many as weeks of the year) and 12 ballrooms (as many as months of the year).
For defensive purposes, the castle was erected upon a rocky hill, making it impossible for an enemy to organize an underground attack.

Krzyżtopór was furnished with amenities that were rarely seen in the 17th century, such as ventilation and heating system, and unique waterworks that provided all rooms with fresh water.
Allegedly, the ceiling in one of dining rooms was made up of an aquarium containing exotic fish.
Additionally, a system of dumbwaiters carried food from pantries to the upper floors.
Even though extensive research has been carried out through the years, historians have been unable to fully explain all aspects of the complex. No documents have been preserved that have enabled the determination of either the date of commencement of the castle's construction or the date of its completion. The name of the architect is also unknown. Krzysztof Ossoliński was enamoured with black magic; while the unique symmetry of the castle is evident even in its ruined state, the hidden meanings that may have been incorporated into virtually every part of the castle are not obvious.
The very name of the complex is a mysterious one. Krzysztof Ossoliński officially named it Krzysztofory, which is derived from Latin word Christophoros. Later, the name changed to Krzyżtopór, which is a compounding of two Polish words – krzyż ("cross", a symbol of the Catholic faith and Ossoliński's policies) and topór ("axe", the charge from the family's coat of arms). Both symbols can be seen on the gate of the castle. Also, above the gate there is the date 1631, but to what this date refers has not been firmly established.
The castle, built by Swiss engineer Wawrzyniec (Lawrence) Senes (probably born in Sent, Switzerland), is a typical example of the so-called palazzo in fortezza – an intermingling of both palace and fortress. The total size of the complex is 1.3 hectares; the length of the perimeter walls is 700 meters; the total area of all interior rooms is around 70 000 square meters. The basic design was based on the palace of Cardinal Alexander Farnese, located in the Italian village of Caprarola. Reportedly, the castle once had 365 windows (as many as days of the year), 52 rooms (as many as weeks of the year) and 12 ballrooms (as many as months of the year). For defensive purposes, the castle was erected upon a rocky hill, making it impossible for an enemy to organize an underground attack.
Krzyżtopór was furnished with amenities that were rarely seen in the 17th century, such as ventilation and heating system, and unique waterworks that provided all rooms with fresh water. Allegedly, the ceiling in one of dining rooms was made up of an aquarium containing exotic fish. Additionally, a system of dumbwaiters carried food from pantries to the upper floors.
Krzyżtopór