{{Short description|Town owned by a private person or family}} {{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=November 2016}} {{Globalize|article|Poland|date=January 2019}} }}
'''Private towns'''{{efn|{{langx|be|прыватныя гарады}}, {{langx|lt|privatūs miestai}}, {{langx|pl|prywatne miasta}}, {{langx|uk|приватні міста}}.}} in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were privately owned towns within the lands owned by magnates, bishops, knights and princes, among others. [[File:Zamosc by Braun and Hogenberg (middle size) (97694183).jpg|thumb|Zamość in the 17th century]] Amongst the most well-known former private magnate towns are Białystok, Zamość, Rzeszów, Puławy, Tarnów, Siedlce, Biała Podlaska, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil and Uman. Magnate palaces and castles can be often found in former private magnate towns. Examples include the Branicki Palace in Białystok; the Czartoryski Palace in Puławy; the Zamoyski Palace in Zamość; the Lubomirski Castle in Rzeszów; the Radziwiłł Palace in Biała Podlaska; the Ogiński Palace in Siedlce; the Potocki Palaces in Międzyrzec Podlaski, Tulchyn and Vysokaye; the Wiśniowiecki Palace in Vyshnivets; and the Zbaraski Castle in Zbarazh.
Also various other landmarks were often founded by the owners, including town halls, churches, monasteries, schools and theatres, some rather unique, like the Mannerist Kalwaria Zebrzydowska Park and Baroque fortified Berdychiv Carmelite Monastery.
Some of the most known former private bishop towns include Łódź, Kielce, Łowicz, Pabianice and Skierniewice.
== List of private towns == {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left |- !style="width:1%;"| !style="width:19%;"|City !style="width:8%;"|Population<br />(2015)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lista miast w Polsce (spis miast, mapa miast, liczba ludności, powierzchnia, wyszukiwarka) |url=https://www.polskawliczbach.pl/Miasta |website=Polska w liczbach}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=zb_chnnu2016pdf ZIP file |url=http://ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2016/zb/06/zb_chnnu2016pdf.zip}}</ref> !style="width:16%;"|Former owners !style="width:9%;"|Country !style="width:22%;"|Administrative division |- |align="right"|1. |Białystok |align="right"|295,282 |House of Branicki (Gryf) |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Podlaskie Voivodeship |- |align="right"|2. |Poltava (''Połtawa'') |align="right"|294,962 |House of Wiśniowiecki,<br />House of Koniecpolski |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Poltava Oblast |- |align="right"|3. |Rivne (''Równe'') |align="right"|249,639 |House of Ostrogski,<br />House of Lubomirski |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Rivne Oblast |- |align="right"|4. |Ivano-Frankivsk (''Stanisławów'') |align="right"|228,575 |House of Potocki |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast |- |align="right"|5. |Ternopil (''Tarnopol'') |align="right"|217,773 |House of Tarnowski,<br />House of Ostrogski,<br />House of Zamoyski |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Ternopil Oblast |- |align="right"|6. |Rzeszów |align="right"|183,108 |House of Lubomirski |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Podkarpackie Voivodeship |- |align="right"|7. |Tarnów |align="right"|112,120 |House of Tarnowski |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Lesser Poland Voivodeship |- |align="right"|8. |Maladzyechna (''Mołodeczno'') |align="right"|94,686 |House of Sapieha,<br />House of Gosiewski,<br />House of Ogiński |{{flagcountry|Belarus}} |Minsk Region |- |align="right"|9. |Uman (''Humań'') |align="right"|86,451 |House of Potocki |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Cherkasy Oblast |- |align="right"|10. |Berdychiv (''Berdyczów'') |align="right"|77,788 |House of Tyszkiewicz,<br />House of Zawisza,<br />House of Radziwiłł |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Zhytomyr Oblast |- |align="right"|11. |Siedlce |align="right"|76,347 |House of Ogiński |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Masovian Voivodeship |- |align="right"|12. |Zhlobin (''Żłobin'') |align="right"|75,700 |House of Chodkiewicz<br> Bona Sforza |{{flagcountry|Belarus}} |Gomel Region |- |align="right"|13. |Ostrów Wielkopolski |align="right"|72,890 |House of Przebendowski |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Greater Poland Voivodeship |- |align="right"|14. |Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski |align="right"|72,277 |House of Tarnowski |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship |- |align="right"|15. |Smila (''Smiła'') |align="right"|68,618 |House of Lubomirski |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Cherkasy Oblast |- |align="right"|16. |Chervonohrad (''Krystynopol'') |align="right"|67,863 |House of Potocki |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Lviv Oblast |- |align="right"|17. |Kalush (''Kałusz'') |align="right"|67,631 |House of Sieniawski |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast |- |align="right"|18. |Zamość |align="right"|65,255 |House of Zamoyski |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Lublin Voivodeship |- |align="right"|19. |Leszno |align="right"|64,589 |House of Leszczyński,<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Atlas historyczny Polski. Wielkopolska w drugiej połowie XVI wieku. Część II. Komentarz, indeksy|year=2017|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Instytut Historii Polskiej Akademii Nauk|page=254}}</ref><br />House of Sułkowski |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Greater Poland Voivodeship |- |align="right"|20. |Zhodzina (''Żodzino'') |align="right"|63,722 |House of Radziwiłł |{{flagcountry|Belarus}} |Minsk Region |}
=== Private clergy towns === Former private clergy towns by population as of 2015: {|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left" ! !City !Population<br />(2015) !Former owners !Country<br />(2023) !Administrative division (2023) |- |align="right"|1. |Łódź |align="right"|711,332 |Diocese of Kujawy<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Atlas historyczny Polski. Województwo sieradzkie i województwo łęczyckie w drugiej połowie XVI wieku. Część II. Komentarz, indeksy|year=1998|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Instytut Historii Polskiej Akademii Nauk|page=67}}</ref> |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Łódź Voivodeship |- |align="right"|2. |Kielce |align="right"|199,870 |Diocese of Kraków |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship |- |align="right"|3. |Olsztyn |align="right"|174,675 |Diocese of Warmia |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship |- |align="right"|4. |Włocławek |align="right"|114,885 |Diocese of Kujawy |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship |- |align="right"|5. |Suwałki |align="right"|69,317 |Camaldolese |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Podlaskie Voivodeship |- |align="right"|6. |Pabianice |align="right"|67,688 |Diocese of Kraków<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|title=Atlas historyczny Polski. Województwo sieradzkie i województwo łęczyckie w drugiej połowie XVI wieku. Część II. Komentarz, indeksy|year=1998|language=pl|location=Warszawa|publisher=Instytut Historii Polskiej Akademii Nauk|page=68}}</ref> |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Łódź Voivodeship |- |align="right"|7. |Skierniewice |align="right"|48,634 |Archdiocese of Gniezno |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Łódź Voivodeship |- |align="right"|8. |Fastiv (''Fastów'') |align="right"|47,869 |Diocese of Kyiv |{{flagcountry|Ukraine}} |Kyiv Oblast |- |align="right"|9. |Marijampolė (''Mariampol'') |align="right"|38,345 |Marians |{{flagcountry|Lithuania}} |Marijampolė County |- |align="right"|10. |Czeladź |align="right"|32,940 |Diocese of Kraków |{{flagcountry|Poland}} |Silesian Voivodeship |}
== Gallery == <gallery mode="packed" widths="190px" heights="100px" caption="World Heritage Sites in former private towns of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth"> File:Zamosc ratusz 01.jpg|Old City of Zamość File:Kalwaria Zebrzydowska 014.jpg|Kalwaria Zebrzydowska park File:Belarus Nesvizh Castle 7257 2050.jpg|Nesvizh Castle File:Belarus Mir Mir Castle Complex 8101 2085.jpg|Mir Castle Complex File:Zolkiew Cerkiew Pr Trojce 02.jpg|Holy Trinity Church, Zhovkva </gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" widths="190px" heights="100px" caption="Former noble residences in private towns"> File:Pałac Branickich 3.JPG|Branicki Palace, Białystok File:Тернопіль, Старий замок, вул. Замкова 12.jpg|Tarnowski Castle, Ternopil File:Pałac Czartoryskich2.jpg|Czartoryski Palace, Puławy File:Pałac Ogińskich w Siedlcach 2.jpg|Ogiński Palace, Siedlce File:Pałac Szołdrskich w Czempiniu - Elewacja ogrodowa.jpg|Szołdrski Palace, Czempiń </gallery>
<gallery mode="packed" widths="190px" heights="100px" caption="Former clergy residences in former private clergy towns"> 20130421 Kielce Palac Biskupow Krakowskich 3127.jpg|Palace of the Kraków Bishops, Kielce Olsztyn zamek 07.jpg|Castle of Warmian Cathedral Chapter, Olsztyn Uniejów Castle.jpg|Castle of the Archbishops of Gniezno, Uniejów 646547 Lidzbark Warmiński zamek biskupi 02.JPG|Castle of Warmian Bishops, Lidzbark Warmiński Lubawa-02.jpg|Castle of the Bishops of Chełmno, Lubawa </gallery>
==See also== * Royal city in Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth * Company town * Closed town * Ghost town * Private city
== Notes == {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Types of towns