Jan Zamoyski (1542 – 1605) was the founder of Zamosc. He was born on 19th March 1542 in a castle in the home village called Skokowka which is located in the suburbs of Zamosc. Before, Hetman’s ancestors had owned a village called Stary Zamosc where Tomasz from Laznin had brought them in XV century. He was a knight from Wielkopolska (northwestern Poland) and he was sealing by the family coat of arms with three spears in it. The origin of this family coat of arms has a very interesting legend which goes back to 1331. In this year, there was a battle of Plowce where our knights clashed with Teutonic Knights.

Teutonic Knights hurt the legendary knight called Florian Szary (founder of the house of Zamoyski) in that battle. Florian Szary received the family coat of arms with three spears in it from Polish King Wladyslaw Lokietek. After a few years three spears became a symbol of deserved for the country, one of the best magnate houses in Poland.

Jan Zamoyski was multi-talented. He studied in Getynga, Strasbourg, Paris and Padua, where he received the title of doctor of both laws. After returning from Italy Polish King - Zygmunt August made him a secretary and commisioned him to sort royal archive. This fact enabled Zamoyski to learn laws which were in force in Poland.

In 1572 died Zygmunt August – the last of the Jagiellonian dynasty. Interregnum became the begining of the great political career of Zamoyski. The nobility started sudden argument about successor of Polish throne. Zamoyski was an opponent of choosing a representative of Habsburgs dynasty as Polish King and he got a support of the nobility. He had a great influence on the choice of the next Polish Kings: Henryk Walezy, Stefan Batory, Zygmunt III Waza.

Jan Zamoyski – the founder of Zamosc could pride himself on two great titles – the Great Crown Chancellor and the Great Crown Hetman. These titles were connected with unusually important functions which Jan Zamoyski fulfiled in Polish country; the title of chancellor connected with managing of foreign and home politics and the title of hetman (leader of militaries) which Zamoyski got for great military success. He got the title of chancellor for diplomatic success which was connected with solid education got by Zamoyski at many well known European academies and also for his knowledge of many foreign languages.

The creator of economic power of the house decided to found the town – the capital of future ‘state of Zamosc’ – Zamoyskis’ Estate-in-tail. Zamoyski’s humanistic education had supported his political, military and economic activities. The chancellor became the patron of art, science and literature. No wonder that Zamosc (beside function of estate residence, economic center, modern fortress, academic center) was supposed to have the features of work of art. 

Jan Zamoyski gathered a group of eminent university proffesors. Academic printing house printed masterpieces of the most outstanding thinkers of Europe. Zamoyski liked the company of writers and artists. A great polish poet Jan Kochanowski was his friend. A poet Szymon Szymonowic was the main co-organizer of the Academy. The chancellor ordered pictures of an Italian painter – Jacopo Tintoretto from Padua to the collegiate church (the Cathedral). A Dutch scholar – Georg van der Does fascinated by individuality of Zamoyski, wrote ‘...nothing testifies better to his love of Poland than this town which he raised from the foundations, leaving a remembrance of himself more lasting that pyramids and monuments, to Poland and to Europe...’