Rep. n° 12/2025
Ľubovňa Castle, July 18, 2025. In the year of the 40th anniversary of the Ľubovňa Open-Air Museum, the 40th Tree of Peace was planted in the grounds of the Ľubovňa Castle in Stará Ľubovňa. Its planting was once again in the hands of distinguished guests. The commemorative tree, together with His Excellency Mons. Ján Kuboš, auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spiš, was planted by Count José Miquel Zamoyski de Borbón y Navarra, Vice Commander of the Royal Chapter of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy and a direct descendant of the Polish aristocratic Zamoyski family, who owned the Ľubovňa Manor for 62 years until 1945.
The last owner of the Ľubovňa Castle was Count Jan Kanty Zamoyski, son of Count Andrzej Przemysław Zamoyski and Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, granddaughter of the King Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
A special feature of this historical moment was the planting of the rare English oak in the variety ‘Jan Zamoyski’ (Quercus robur ‘Jan Zamoyski’). The variety is a valuable tree in botanical gardens and parks due to its attractive foliage. Thanks to its interesting and long history and also its ties to one of the most important Polish aristocratic families, it is a true botanical and historical rarity.
This variety was discovered by Feliks Rożyński and introduced in the Podzameckie Nursery in 1903. It was “lost” for 100 years, only to be reintroduced to the market in 2003. Since 2025, it has also been growing in Stará Ľubovňa, which is forever associated with the Zamoyski family.
