Arian Tower in Wojciechów

The Arian Tower in Wojciechów is a three-story structure built of stone and brick, erected before 1527 by the Lublin starost (district official) Jan Pilecki. The building was modernized to adapt it for firearms use, resulting in the creation of a quadrilateral layout with trapezoidal bastions and a tower manor featuring an external staircase. In the first half of the 16th century, the farmstead was further fortified with a wall equipped with loopholes. Although the tower fell into ruin after a new manor was built, it was restored in 1907 according to a design by Jan Koszczyc Witkiewicz, and then thoroughly renovated between 1971 and 1974 based on plans by Tadeusz Augustynek. As history shows, Wojciechów was inhabited by Calvinists and Arians, which led to the tower being named "Arian," suggesting its use by the Arian congregation. Researchers argue that the tower may have originally served the Calvinist community before becoming a stronghold of the Arians. A highly valuable document confirming these connections is the tombstone of the Calvinist pastor Stanisław Spinek. Today, the Arian Tower serves as the Municipal Cultural Center, the Regional Museum, and the Museum of Blacksmithing. The structure was immortalized by Stefan Żeromski in his novel *Nawracanie Judasza* (*The Conversion of Judas*), where he described its architecture and historical significance. In the novel, the tower takes on a fictional context as a meeting place for prominent figures of the Reformation. Interestingly, Żeromski depicted the tower by emphasizing its Gothic details and the atmosphere in which discussions about Arian and Reformation ideas were set.