Barian-Rokicki House in Biecz

The Barian-Rokicki House, known as the House with the Tower or the Old Pharmacy, is a townhouse from 1523 in the southern part of the old town of Biecz. It stands at the end of Węgierska Street and adjoins a well-preserved defensive tower known as the Radziecka tower. Today it houses part of the exhibition of the Biecz Land Museum.

The apothecaries' townhouse

In 1557 the apothecary Marcin Rokicki bought the house from Barbara Uździeniczka and set up a pharmacy in it. The building was extended by successive heirs. In 1683 Marcin's great-great-granddaughter, Katarzyna Rokicka, married the apothecary Mikołaj Akierbam, who took over the house together with the pharmacy. At the end of the 17th century the townhouse was bought by the starost Jan Rey of Nagłowice, a participant in the relief of Vienna. The pharmacy then ceased to operate, and over the following centuries the house often changed owners. In 1963 it was bought by the municipal national council, and in 1970-1975 it underwent a thorough reconstruction for museum purposes. It was designed by Andrzej Krzyżanowski.

Architecture

The two-storey brick building was rebuilt many times. The walls are crowned with a reconstructed Renaissance parapet, and the windows have carved, partly recreated stone surrounds. The façade is decorated with a sgraffito frieze. Loopholes have survived in the western part of the attic, which testify to the house's former defensive character. Inside, a varied layout of rooms, Renaissance lintels and traces of former polychromes have survived.

Exhibition

On the ground floor of the tower a reconstructed pharmacy room has been arranged, and the upper floors show the musical life of Biecz, the material culture of the townspeople and the former decorative crafts. The tower presents crafts, from blacksmithing and locksmithing to documents and guild paintings of the 19th century. We wrote about the institution in more detail in the description of the Biecz Land Museum.

Practical information

• Address: Węgierska 21, Biecz. The building stands right next to the defensive walls.
• Visits take place as part of the Biecz Land Museum. Check the rules and opening hours on the museum's website before your visit.