The construction of the fortress was initiated in the middle of the 14th century by Andrzej Tęczyński. The surrounding walls with towers created an oval plan, while the entrance led through a tremendous, square-shaped gate tower. This tower, topped by a hip roof, is the best preserved part of the castle. Around 1570, the medieval fortress was transformed into a Renaissance residence with arcaded cloisters in the courtyard and walls featuring decorative attics. At the beginning of the 17th century, the castle’s fortifications were extended, creating a powerful fortress with an impressive barbican that survives until today. The result was one of the biggest castles in Małopolska, and the biggest one in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. After the Tęczyński family, the castle was owned by the Opaliński family, and then by the Lubomirski family, who reconstructed Tenczyn after the damage done during the Swedish invasion. After the fire of 1768, the abandoned castle fell into ruin.