# Private town

Private towns in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were privately owned towns within the lands owned by magnates, bishops, knights and princes, among others.
Amongst the most well-known former private magnate towns are Białystok, Zamość, Rzeszów, Puławy, Tarnów, Siedlce, Biała Podlaska, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Uman. Magnate palaces and castles can be often found in former private magnate towns. Examples include the Branicki Palace in Białystok; the Czartoryski Palace in Puławy; the Zamoyski Palace in Zamość; the Lubomirski Castle in Rzeszów; the Radziwiłł Palace in Biała Podlaska; the Ogiński Palace in Siedlce; the Potocki Palaces in Międzyrzec Podlaski, Tulchyn and Vysokaye; the Wiśniowiecki Palace in Vyshnivets; and the Zbaraski Castle in Zbarazh.
Also various other landmarks were often founded by the owners, including town halls, churches, monasteries, schools and theatres, some rather unique, like the Mannerist Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Park and Baroque fortified Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery.
Some of the most known former private bishop towns include Łódź, Kielce, Łowicz, Pabianice and Skierniewice.

## List of private towns

| | City | Population (2015) | Former owners | Country | Administrative division |
| 1. | Białystok | 295,282 | House of Branicki (Gryf) | Poland | Podlaskie Voivodeship |
| 2. | Poltava (Połtawa) | 294,962 | House of Wiśniowiecki, House of Koniecpolski | Ukraine | Poltava Oblast |
| 3. | Rivne (Równe) | 249,639 | House of Ostrogski, House of Lubomirski | Ukraine | Rivne Oblast |
| 4. | Ivano-Frankivsk (Stanisławów) | 228,575 | House of Potocki | Ukraine | Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast |
| 5. | Ternopil (Tarnopol) | 217,773 | House of Tarnowski, House of Ostrogski, House of Zamoyski | Ukraine | Ternopil Oblast |
| 6. | Rzeszów | 183,108 | House of Lubomirski | Poland | Podkarpackie Voivodeship |
| 7. | Tarnów | 112,120 | House of Tarnowski | Poland | Lesser Poland Voivodeship |
| 8. | Maladzyechna (Mołodeczno) | 94,686 | House of Sapieha, House of Gosiewski, House of Ogiński | Belarus | Minsk Region |
| 9. | Uman (Humań) | 86,451 | House of Potocki | Ukraine | Cherkasy Oblast |
| 10. | Berdychiv (Berdyczów) | 77,788 | House of Tyszkiewicz, House of Zawisza, House of Radziwiłł | Ukraine | Zhytomyr Oblast |
| 11. | Siedlce | 76,347 | House of Ogiński | Poland | Masovian Voivodeship |
| 12. | Zhlobin (Żłobin) | 75,700 | House of Chodkiewicz Bona Sforza | Belarus | Gomel Region |
| 13. | Ostrów Wielkopolski | 72,890 | House of Przebendowski | Poland | Greater Poland Voivodeship |
| 14. | Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski | 72,277 | House of Tarnowski | Poland | Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship |
| 15. | Smila (Smiła) | 68,618 | House of Lubomirski | Ukraine | Cherkasy Oblast |
| 16. | Chervonohrad (Krystynopol) | 67,863 | House of Potocki | Ukraine | Lviv Oblast |
| 17. | Kalush (Kałusz) | 67,631 | House of Sieniawski | Ukraine | Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast |
| 18. | Zamość | 65,255 | House of Zamoyski | Poland | Lublin Voivodeship |
| 19. | Leszno | 64,589 | House of Leszczyński, House of Sułkowski | Poland | Greater Poland Voivodeship |
| 20. | Zhodzina (Żodzino) | 63,722 | House of Radziwiłł | Belarus | Minsk Region |

### Private clergy towns

Former private clergy towns by population as of 2015:
| | City | Population (2015) | Former owners | Country (2023) | Administrative division (2023) |
| 1. | Łódź | 711,332 | Diocese of Kujawy | Poland | Łódź Voivodeship |
| 2. | Kielce | 199,870 | Diocese of Kraków | Poland | Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship |
| 3. | Olsztyn | 174,675 | Diocese of Warmia | Poland | Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship |
| 4. | Włocławek | 114,885 | Diocese of Kujawy | Poland | Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship |
| 5. | Suwałki | 69,317 | Camaldolese | Poland | Podlaskie Voivodeship |
| 6. | Pabianice | 67,688 | Diocese of Kraków | Poland | Łódź Voivodeship |
| 7. | Skierniewice | 48,634 | Archdiocese of Gniezno | Poland | Łódź Voivodeship |
| 8. | Fastiv (Fastów) | 47,869 | Diocese of Kyiv | Ukraine | Kyiv Oblast |
| 9. | Marijampolė (Mariampol) | 38,345 | Marians | Lithuania | Marijampolė County |
| 10. | Czeladź | 32,940 | Diocese of Kraków | Poland | Silesian Voivodeship |

## Gallery

* World Heritage Sites in former private towns of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
* Old City of Zamość
* Kalwaria Zebrzydowska park
* Nesvizh Castle
* Mir Castle Complex
* Holy Trinity Church, Zhovkva
* Former noble residences in private towns
* Branicki Palace, Białystok
* Tarnowski Castle, Ternopil
* Czartoryski Palace, Puławy
* Ogiński Palace, Siedlce
* Szołdrski Palace, Czempiń
* Former clergy residences in former private clergy towns
* Palace of the Kraków Bishops, Kielce
* Castle of Warmian Cathedral Chapter, Olsztyn
* Castle of the Archbishops of Gniezno, Uniejów
* Castle of Warmian Bishops, Lidzbark Warmiński
* Castle of the Bishops of Chełmno, Lubawa