Palace of Anna Vasa, a Swedish Princess, was built before 1564 at the Teutonic castle area by the Brodnica County starost Rafał Działyński, partly with the use of the Gothic walls. The palace was rebuilt and expanded as a residence by Anna Vasa of Sweden in the years 1605-1616 then it was the seat of successive starosts. Burned by Russians in 1945 and reconstructed in 1969. During its existence there resided starosts of prominent families. From the early 17th century Brodnica county was granted to members of the royal family. Besides Anna Vasa of Sweden the Brodnica starosts were: Constance wife of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa, his daughter Anna Catherine, wife of King Wladyslaw IV - Cecilia Renata, and his advisor and the Great Crown Chancellor Jerzy Tęczyn Ossoliński, Maria Kazimiera - wife of John III Sobieski, Crown Hetman Marcin Kalinowski and the Great crown Marshal Marshal Francis Balinski. Currently it houses a library and museum.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.