Tenczyn Castle, also known as Tęczyn Castle, is a medieval castle in the village of Rudno in the Polish Jura, Poland. It was built as a seat of the powerful Tęczyński family. The castle fell into disrepair during the Deluge in mid-17th century, after being pillaged and burned by Swedish-Brandenburgian forces looking for the Polish Crown Jewels and rumored treasures of the Tęczyński family. Subsequently rebuilt, it again fell into disrepair after a major fire in the mid-18th century and remains in that state to this day. The castle stands on the remnants of a Permian period lava stream, the highest hill of Garb Tenczyński (Castle Hill), which is 411 m above the sea level. History According to legend, Tynek Starża, a founding member of the Tęczyńskis, arrived in the area in the 9th century, founded Tyniec, and built a castle named after and for his daughter Tęcza (Rainbow). The first mention of the stronghold in writing is dated to 24 September 1308, when King Władysław I the Elbow-high, who was hunting in the woods around Thanczin, issued a diploma to the Cistercian monastery in Sulejów. It is believed that the first wooden castle structure was erected around 1319 by Jan Nawój of Morawica, Castellan of Cracow. He also built the largest of the castle towers, called today the Nawojowa tower. The medieval castle included three additional round Gothic towers. Further expansion was carried out by Jan's son Jędrzej, governor of Cracow and Sandomierz, who erected the north-east part of the structure. He established a residence in the castle, dying there in 1368. Jędrzej is known as the first person to take the name Tęczyński. Jędrzej's son Jasko renewed and significantly expanded the castle, and founded a chapel within. The first recorded direct mention of the castle dates from this period. The king Władysław Jagiełło imprisoned some important Teutonic prisoners, captured during the Battle of Grunwald, in the castle. To commemorate this event one of the castle's turrets was named Grunwaldzka. Within a short period of time, the Tęczyński family rose to great importance in Poland, holding 45 estates, of which 15 were near the castle. Around the middle of the sixteenth century, the castle was frequented by Mikołaj Rej, Jan Kochanowski, Piotr Kochanowski and other important figures of the Polish Renaissance. According to Bartosz Paprocki, Jan Tęczyński, Castellan of Wojnicz, "at great cost built a new castle in Tęczyn"