Tumskie Hill and the former castle
The Tumskie Hill, situated more than 40 m above the extensive valley of the Vistula River, is an advance, vast point scarp, creating a place convenient for settlement. The oldest found traces of the settlement date back to the period of the Lusatian Culture, later probably the hill was not inhabited.
The development of Płock involves creation of foundations of the state of the first Piasts. The stronghold surrounded by earth embankment in the north was founded during the reign of Mieszko I; in the first half of the 11th century, the defensive fortifications covered the whole hill. Already at that time, at the place of the future cathedral, there was a church and a small stone rotunda nearby. Płock was one of "stations" of Boleslaus Chrobry, who was continuously traveling around his state. Probably it is from where St. Bruno of Kwerfurt set out to Prussia with his last Christianization mission.
From the second half of the 11th century, Płock gained importance when, in 1075, it became the capital of the newly created Mazovian episcopate and the seat of the rulers of Poland - Władysław Herman and Boleslaus the Wry-Mouthed. Residences were created for the bishop, for the duke, his family and numerous court. The first spouse of Herman was Judith of Bohemia, the mother of Boleslaus, the second one was Judith Maria, daughter of Emperor Henry III. Stone buildings were erected - the first cathedral and the duke's chapel. After a devastating invasion of the Pomeranians in 1126, when an outstanding organizer and patron of the arts, Alexander of Malonne became the bishop, the construction of a new cathedral began. at the place of the previous one, an impressive Romanesque temple from granite ashlars was erected , the largest building in the then Poland. Consecrated in 1144, in the next decade it was decorated with the doors of bronze, made in Magdeburg. Currently, their faithful copy can be found in the porch. Probably in 13th century, they were robbed during one of the Lithuanian-Russian invasions and brought to Veliky Novgorod. Also a stone mansion was built - a several-floor residential tower, the relics of which, visible until today, were the basis for the future castle donjon (Clock Tower). The presence of a great temple and seat of the bishop significantly improved the importance of Płock when, after division into provinces, it was nothing more than the capital of the Dukes of Mazovia.
The first period of "the golden century" ended finally in the early 13th century with the intensified attacks of Prussians, Yotvingians and Lithuanians. within this century the town was conquered and burnt five times. In the late 13th century, Duke Boleslaus II started erecting of defensive walls at the place of embankments, which soon saved the castle three times against the armies of Władysław the Short, Czechs and Teutonic knights. also a new Gothic mansion was created, at the wall from the side of the Vistula River. When Duke Boleslaus III deceased without descendants, in 1351 Płock passed for 20 years under the reign of King Kazimierz the Great. at that time, the town was surrounded by defensive walls, and the whole castle hill was strengthened with the second ring of gigantic walls with turrets and a high gate tower (Noblemen's Tower), the symbol of the royal authority. in the next century, a more convenient access was created to the castle through a new double gate in walls next to the tower, which, over time, began to serve as prison.
Finally, the kingdom was incorporated into the Crown by John I Albert in 1495, after the decease of Janusz II, the last Duke of Płock. The castle lost much of the former splendor of the duke's residence, it was administered by royal governors until the partitions. Its area, apart from representative buildings, housed numerous wooden farm buildings and small houses for officials and lower level cathedral clergy. At least from the 15th century, the episcopal curia and houses of canons were situated in the area of the today's Narutowicza Square.
In 1530, a thunderstroke caused a great fire and destruction of the cathedral. The reconstruction began and soon another disaster occurred. In spite of repair-construction works in the castle, conducted from 1517, in consequence of washout and sliding of the scarp, "the most beautiful part of the castle along with the hill tumbled down to the Vistula River". In such words bishop Krzycki wrote to Queen Bona, who, at that time, received from Sigismund the Old the Płock land in annuity. the remnants were the former, grand Gothic mansion of the Dukes of Mazovia between the walls, connected through galleries with an Italian style tenement house with a viewing terrace over the Vistula River. Apart from Bona, Queen Ann Jagiellon was a frequent guest for years. Also kings stayed there for a short period: Sigismund August, Sigismund Vase, Władysław IV and Jan Kazimierz. Wars with Sweden brought about breathtaking effects. During "the Swedish Deluge" the castle and town were seized, robbed and devastated twice. in 1705, combats of Russians with Swedes in the castle resulted in ruined buildings and walls. Walls being gradually dismantled from 1840s remained in substantial fragments from the side of the town till the early 19th century.
The second important building on the Tumskie Hill is a former Benedictine abbey, the presence of which dates back to the beginning of the christianization of Mazovia. in the 11th century, they owned St. Laurent's Church, and in the 12th century they created a new St. Adelbert's abbey. Probably they created also the first cathedral chapter of the Płock diocese, established in 1075. In 1538, they received from King Sigismund the Old the area with the oldest buildings of the town from the 12th century. They erected a new abbey with a late-Gothic church adjacent to the Noblemen's Tower as well as monastery buildings along the defensive wall. In the early 17th century, a wing between the church and the Clock Tower closed the yard. The St. Adelbert's Church was given a rich early Baroque decor with marble, monumental main altar and portal, designed by the royal architect, Mateo Castello. Wars with Sweden did not spare the abbey, either. Particularly great losses were suffered in 1705, when it was completely robbed, and the library and the archive were burnt. in 1781, the Benedictine monks were transferred to Pułtusk. the seminary transferred from the House under the Horns was located in the buildings. in 1856, to expand the school, the church was dismantled and divided into three storeys. The altar was transferred to the parish church, and the portal to Bądków Kościelny. After the January Uprising, the buildings were taken over by Russian authorities that established there state female secondary school, which operated until World War 1. in the inter-war period, it housed a music school for organists and private apartments. in the 1960s, after a thorough refurbishment and adaptation, the Mazovian Museum was transferred here and open to the public in 1973. Since 2005, the museum has been located in an Art Nouveau tenement house at 8 Tumska Street . After another refurbishment, the former Benedictine abbey, along with a small building next to the cathedral, erected in 1903 for museum purposes, form the Diocesan Museum.
Starting from 16th century, the area being property of the church was increasing systematically, and finally the whole area of the castle hill became the property of the bishop. the remnants of the old medieval castle are only the Clock Tower - former turret, raised and reconstructed approximately in 1492 to a cathedral bell tower, in the late 17th century covered with a Baroque cupola, and the Noblemen's Tower, lowered by half until the first half of 1796.Also a fragment of the wall to which the wing of the Benedictine monastery was adjacent has been preserved. in the 1820s, the area of the hill was leveled and arranged, a park was founded, planted with horse chestnuts, called by the Płock inhabitants as "Za Tumem".
