Szydłów's history dates to the 12th century. It gained its city rights in 1329 and lost them in 1869. The village several tourist attractions, including the 16th-century Szydłów Synagogue, several buildings and churches dating to the 14th century and the ruins of a castle from the same period. The first official inventory of important buildings in Poland, "A General View of the Nature of Ancient Monuments in the Kingdom of Poland," led by Kazimierz Stronczyński from 1844–55, describes the Szydłów Synagogue as one of Poland's architecturally notable buildings.