Zbarazh Castle is located near the center of Zbarazh, in a park on the so-called Castle Hill. The construction of the castle was started by the brothers Princes Christopher and Yuri Zbarazhsky. In 1620-1631, two kilometers up the river in the upper part of the slope of the valley, they begin the construction of the castle. The initial project was developed by the Italian architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, whom Christopher Zbarazhsky met in Venice. But the project did not pass: not too defensive, more palace. Scamozzi first described the project of the castle in his treatise "On the Idea of ​​Universal Architecture", and then his ideas were partially embodied in Zbarazh. The author of the implemented project is the Dutch architect Van Peen. It happened in 1625. The construction of the fortress began a year later and lasted until 1631.
The created fortification was built on the model of the Brady fortress. Oskarpirovannye outer bastions grow from earthen ramparts up to 12 meters high, with a terrace for the defenders of the outpost 23 meters wide. In plan - a square 88 m wide. Inside the bastions there were vaulted casemates (at the moment they exhibit samples of ancient weapons and wooden sculptures of Pinzel's students). The ditch around the bastions was deep and very wide (in some places up to 40 meters). In the center of the castle courtyard, according to the construction rules of the "Palazzo in fortezza", a Renaissance palace was kept. The castle is located on a high mountain, surrounded in the past by swamps. It is an example of a combination of a palace and bastion fortifications, which reflects the trends of European fortification art of that time. Prince Christopher Zbarazhsky died in 1627, when the castle had not yet been completed. The construction of the castle was completed under Yuri Zbarazhsky. In 1627-1630. for him were built: the majestic church of St. Anthony in the Baroque style, the cells and the gate tower.
After the death of Yuri Zbarazhsky, the castle went to Janusz Vyshnevetsky. And in 1636, after his death, it passed to his young son, Dmitry Vishnevetsky, whom Prince Jeremiah Vishnevetsky took custody of. The Vishnevetskys continued to work on strengthening the defense structures and landscaping the palace. The Renaissance palace with a 60-meter well and a secret underground passage, surrounded by 13-meter ramparts with bastions and casemates, surrounded by a wide moat with running water, seemed almost impregnable and capable of withstanding a long siege. An underground passage connected the castle with the Bernardine monastery, which was being built at the same time in the lower part of the city.
In 1648, the Cossacks of B. Khmelnitsky (thanks to the betrayal of the garrison defending the castle) took possession of it for the first time. But the events of 1649 were the real great test for the city and its castle. It was the second year of the Ukrainian Liberation War against the Polish nobility. The Polish troops, retreating before the Cossack detachments of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, decided to stop in Zbarazh and organize defense here. At that time, the castle was one of the most fortified, armed with 50 cannons. The heroic 63-day defense of Zbarazh carried out by Prince Jeremiah Vishnevetsky against the superior forces of Khmelnitsky and Islam Giray is well known from the book by G. Senkevich "With Fire and Sword".
The castle was captured and destroyed three times: in 1675 by Turkish, and in 1707 and 1734 by Russian troops. In 1675, the castle was captured and burned by the Turks, after which it was rebuilt by Dmitry Vishnevetsky. It was at that time that the fortress turned into a residence palace, losing its strategic importance as an outpost. However, this did not stop Russian soldiers from destroying the structure in 1707 and 1734. After the death of Dmitry Vishnevetsky in 1682, the estate became the property of the Pototskys: Jozef, and then his son Stanislav, the Kiev governor. Zbarazh will remain in the hands of the Potocki until the middle of the 19th century.

In the XX century. the first attempts were made to restore the Zbarazh castle. In 1908, the government obliges the owner of Zbarazh, Emil Javec, to begin restoration work, which never began. Before World War I, the complex was restored by the last private owner of the castle, Tadeusz Nementowski. In 1935, the Reserve Officers' Communications received the castle and set up a restaurant in it, which existed until World War II. In July 1941, Zbarazh was occupied by German troops. March 6, 1944 Zbarazh was liberated from the German invaders.
In the 1960s, it was decided that the castle should be preserved. Then the defensive walls of the castle were raised a little, but the restoration work ended there. The useful work was continued only in 1985 - local economic organizations carried out intensive work - they restored the casemates of the castle, blocked the roof, and began updating the interior of the two-story palace.
A positive factor for the city of Zbarazh was the creation in 1994 on the basis of the Zbarazh castle-palace of the State Historical and Architectural Reserve, whose activities led to a new professional scientifically based stage of reconstruction and restoration of the castle palace and other historical sights of the city. In the first years of the existence of the reserve, its workers put things in order on the territory of the castle, planted new trees, resettled various circles, getting rid of their "heritage". The Lviv Institute "Ukrzakhidproektrestavratsiya" developed a project and a program for the restoration of the castle, and then a comprehensive plan for the preservation of the monuments of the reserve and the elimination of the emergency. Professional masters restored the original layout of the palace lobbies, restored the halls, which allows tourists to get acquainted with archaeological exhibits, weaving, embroidery, sculpture, sacred art, etc. Several halls are reserved for exhibitions. And one of the outbuildings of the castle palace was adapted for an organ hall. One of the local traditions was the holding of weddings here. The restoration of the casemates of the castle also brought tangible benefits - museums of Trypillia culture, ethnography, sculpture, and weapons are open and functioning here.