Zamość Fortress Zamość Fortress ( ) is a set of fortifications constructed together with the city of Zamość ( southeastern Poland ) . It was built between 1579 and 1618 , and the construction was initiated by Chancellor and Hetman Jan Zamoyski . It was one of the biggest fortresses of the Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth , built so solidly that it was able to resist the attacks of both the Cossacks and the Swedes during the Deluge . It was taken down in 1866 , although fragments survive . Altogether , the fortress went through six sieges , with the first one taking place in 1648 , during the Khmelnytsky Uprising . Eight years later it was surrounded by the Swedes , who came there again in 1703 , then , in 1809 , by the army of the Duchy of Warsaw , which captured it from the Austrians . The longest one was the siege of Zamość of 1813 , when the Polish garrison for 8 months defended the fortress from the Russians . The last siege took place during the November Uprising , when Zamość was the last point of Polish defence which fell to the Russians . The fortress , which had in the meantime become obsolete , was closed down in 1866 . Construction and later changes . Zamość fortress , as well as the town of Zamość , are the brainchild of Chancellor Jan Zamoyski , who in the second half of the 16th century decided to found a new , private city in the middle of nowhere , named after himself . The foundation charter was issued on April 3 , 1580 , and the first name of the town was Zamośćie by the Wieprzec river . Both fortifications and the city were planned by Italian architect from Padua , Bernardo Morando . He decided to take advantage of the two local rivers — Topornica and Labunka , whose waters were used to fill the moat . The first castle was built in 1579 , and in the following years additional buildings were added — the Arsenal ( 1582 ) , Lublin Gate ( 1588 ) , Lwów Gate ( 1599 ) and Szczebrzeszyn Gate , completed in 1603 by Blaise Gocman , each one with a drawbridge . The entire complex was not finished until 1620 , by another Italian architect , Andrea dell ' Aqua , who was helped by Jan Wolff and Jan Jaroszowic . The fortress was shaped as a septangle , with seven bastions , located around 200 meters from each other , as this was the range of the 17th century artillery . The fortress , with its impressive brickwork , 12 m high and 2 . 5 m thick , was one of the most modern and largest strongholds of the Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth , together with Kamieniec Podolski . In 1683 , architect Jan Michal Link began modernization of the fortress , which lasted until 1694 . Walls were strengthened , and two smaller bastions were replaced by a large one . After these works , the fortress was not repaired until 1809 , when government of the Duchy of Warsaw invested heavily into several changes . New gates were placed , two older gates were bricked up , bastions were enlarged . However , the works were not completed because of the French invasion of Russia . Further improvements were continued by the government of the Congress Poland , which in 1820 bought the city from ordynat Stanislaw Kostka Zamoyski . All buildings within 1200 meters from the walls were destroyed , and within the radius of 2400 meters , only wooden structures were permitted . A Blockhaus was constructed as well as extensive entrenchments . Buildings in the town were remodelled so that they would serve the military . They were stripped of Baroque decorations and rebuilt in the neoclassicistic style . First siege . In November 1648 , during the Khmelnytsky Uprising , Zamość was surrounded by joint Cossack — Tatar forces under command of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and Tugay Bey . The fortress was defended by approximately 4700 soldiers under castellan of Elbląg Ludwik Weyher and Wladyslaw Myszkowski . Also , within city walls , there were numerous refugees from lands of Red Ruthenia , Podolia and Volhynia . On November 5 , the enemy burned nearby villages , but the fortress itself was untouched . Soon afterwards , Cossack engineers managed to remove water from southern mound , exposing the wall in that area . However , Khmelnytski ' s forces were inadequate , and winter was approaching . Since the defenders were also aware of their difficult situation , both sides signed a truce . For the price of 20 000 talar s , the Cossack - Tatar forces decided to end the siege and returned home for the winter . Second siege . In the summer of 1655 , the joint Russo - Cossack forces approached near the fortress , but they did not try to capture it . Instead , when late that year Jan II Zamoyski decided to support King John II Casimir of Poland , Zamość was besieged by the Swedes ( see : The Deluge ( Polish history ) ) , whose troops appeared at the gates of the stronghold on February 25 , 1656 . After a few days , King Charles X Gustav joined the forces . The Swedes began with artillery barrage , but due to lack of heavy guns , it was not successful . Within a few days , Charles X Gustav realized that capturing Zamość , whose fortifications had been strengthened since 1648 , was impossible , and on March 1 , the invaders withdrew . Swedish siege of Zamość was later described by Henryk Sienkiewicz , in his popular book novel . Next year , the Transilvania n army under George II Rákóczi appeared near Zamość , but it did not even try to capture the mighty fortress . According to a legend , when Swedish representatives came to the town and proposed the capitulation of the fortress , Jan ‘ Sobiepan ’ Zamoyski answered : " I am the Lord for myself and I will not give Zamość to the Swedes " . In the last stage of the war , Zamość was a prison for high - ranking officers of the Swedish Army . Among those kept there , was Field Marshal Arvid Wittenberg , who died in prison of natural causes . Third siege . Late 17th century marked the decline of the Commonwealth , a decline reflected in the general state of repair of the fortress . The Great Northern War did not spare Zamość , as on February 11 , 1703 , Swedish units under General Magnus Stenbock approached the stronghold and besieged it . However , after a week , the Swedes withdrew , to return next year with additional troops . Polish defenders , counted at only 260 , were unable to resist the attackers and quickly surrendered . Swedish occupation was short and in 1705 , Russian soldiers , with permission of Ordynat Tomasz Jozef Zamoyski , entered Zamość . The 1000 Russian garrison remained there until May 1706 . Fourth siege . After the Partitions of Poland , Zamość became part of the Austrian Empire , to which it belonged until 1809 . During Napoleonic Wars , units of the Duchy of Warsaw , under Prince Jozef Poniatowski , besieged Zamość and managed to capture it . The siege began on May 15 , 1809 , when units under General Ignacy Kamienski approached the fortress , whose garrison consisted of 3000 soldiers , commanded by Colonel Ferdinand von Pulszky . Two days later , Polish forces were strengthened by additional units under French general Jean Pelletier , who served in the Polish Army . Joined Polish - French forces were aided by local population , also several Austrian recruits were Polish , and during the attack , these soldiers did not engage themselves in the fighting . The attack took place in the night of May 19 / 20 , 1809 , from 2 to 4 a . m . The main impact was directed on the Lublin Gate , which surprised the Austrians , as they had been expecting the attack on the weakest , southern wall . The fortress was captured after a few hours . Interestingly enough , one of participants of the siege , Joanna Zubrowa , became the first woman to receive the Virtuti Militari . Fifth siege . After Napoleon ' s failed invasion on Russia ( 1812 ) , the fortress was besieged by the Russian forces , which approached Zamość in February 1813 . Polish defenders , under General Maurycy Hauke were well - prepared , with 4000 soldiers , 130 cannons and food supplies for four months . The Russians were commanded by General Rath , and their number is estimated at up to 17 000 ( as for August 1813 ) , with 160 cannons . After a few weeks of the siege , epidemic of scurvy broke out in the fortress . However , this was managed and the Polish defence of Zamość continued for several months . In mid - June , both sides signed a temporary truce and the Russians limited their summer actions to blocking the fortress . Months of siege depleted the resources and supplies of the defenders . In October 1813 , some 1200 soldiers were sick and almost all were starving . All horses , dogs and cats were eaten , within one month , 450 persons died . On October 22 , news of Napoleon ' s defeat in the Battle of Leipzig reached Zamość , and it lowered the spirits of the Poles . The decision to capitulate was taken on November 19 , after eight months of siege . Out of 4000 defenders , 1500 died , mostly of disease and hunger . The fortress became part of Congress Poland . Sixth siege . During the November Uprising , the fortress was one of main centers of Polish resistance . Commanded by Julian Sierawski and later Jan Krysinski , its garrison consisted of 3800 soldiers . Zamość was a base of Polish units operating in the area of Lublin , however , after Polish defeat in the Battle of Ostrołęka , the Russians took the initiative . The blockade of Zamość began in July 1831 , and the fortress itself capitulated on November 21 , as the last resistance point of the country . Liquidation of the fortress and modern times . After the November Uprising , the fortress declined . Technological advance in warfare was decisive and finally , tsar Alexander II of Russia officially closed the stronghold in 1866 . In the following years , large parts of fortifications were demolished . In 1992 , Zamość , which is one of the classical monuments of Renaissance urban layout in Europe , was included on the list of the World ' s Cultural Heritage by UNESCO .