The Sanok Royal Castle stands on a steep slope 317 meters above sea level, overlooking the San River in Sanok, Poland. It is listed as Polish Gothic-Renaissance in style, with Casimir III the Great named as its client. The earliest known mention of a stronghold there is from 1150. A Tatar invasion destroyed it in 1241, and a royal palace within a defensive wall was built on the hilltop afterward.
Władysław Jagiełło married Elisabeth of Pilica at the castle on May 2, 1417. Between 1523 and 1548 Queen Bona Sforza had the Gothic castle rebuilt in the Renaissance style. Russian forces invaded in 1915, and the south wing was demolished that year.
The Historical Museum in Sanok occupies the castle. It holds about 200 icons from Lemko villages and the largest collection of works by Zdzisław Beksiński, shown in a gallery since May 19, 2012.
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