Zamość is one of the best-preserved Renaissance towns in Europe. It was one
of the first to be planned and built from scratch according to Italian
concepts of the ideal town. The moving force behind this project was Jan
Zamoyski (1541–1605), chancellor and commander-in-chief of the Crown, one of
the most powerful and enlightened magnates of Poland’s Golden Age, and the
owner of Zamość. Bernardo Mornando was the architect and work began in 1581,
continuing for more than ten years. A programme of restoration was carried
out in the 1970s, and in 1992 UNESCO declared the town a World Heritage
Site. Today, theatrical performances and many other cultural events take
place in the Main Square.