Leszno is a town in Central Poland. Located in the southern part of the greater Poland Voivodeship since 1999, it was previously the capital of the Voivodeship (1975-1998). Leszno has the status of the County.

The settlement was first mentioned in historical documents in 1393. The area belonged to the family Veniva. The family adopted the surname Leszczynski on behalf of his property in accordance with the medieval tradition of the Polish nobility.

The arrival of Czech Protestants in Leszno, as well as weavers and artisans from the nearby town of Silesia, helped the village to grow rapidly and develop. In 1547 Leszno received city rights from king Sigismund I the Old. In the sixteenth century the city became the largest printing center in Wielkopolska due to the activity of the Protestant community, the number of which has increased due to the influx of German refugees from Silesia during the Thirty years war. The Golden age of Leszno ended with the great fire in 1655. During the Northern war, the town was again burned in 1707 by the Russians, and after only two years, residents suffered a new disaster – a terrible plague.

The Leszczynski family owned the town until 1738, after which Leszno was annexed to Prussia. The city participated in the Polish uprising of 1918 and the Treaty of Versailles was returned to Poland. In 1939 Leszno was captured by the Nazis.

In the postwar years Leszno has been fully restored, and today you can see the monuments of urban architecture: the Baroque town hall, the parish Church from the 18th century, built by Ian Catenacci with Baroque altars and the magnificent facade of the Lutheran Church. Cross, built in the early 18th century, the unique architecture of the city's main square. In the local history Museum has a rich collection of Polish portraiture.