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    The Manor House in Voderady

 

The manor house is the oldest building in Voderady, but the exact date of its construction and the identity of its builder remain unknown. Its antiquity is evident, particularly from the vaulted ceilings on the ground floor. The first mention of the manor house comes from Slovak polymath Matej Bel (1684–1749) in 1736, who described it as being in poor condition. The same year, Bratislava County’s notifications also reported its deteriorated state. Only the western part of the manor was habitable and appeared slightly better maintained.

In 1750, the Royal Council of Lieutenancy announced that Michal Ocskay had relinquished his lien on the property of Győr Bishop Franz Zichy in Voderady. They requested that Michal Ocskay appear before the commission managing the bishop’s estates on November 3, 1750.

In connection with these events, inventories of the manor house, cellar, farm, garden, and mill were drawn up on October 12, 1756, and March 17, 1759. These inventories confirm the poor condition of the manor house and its furnishings. They list worn and damaged items such as broken chairs, a table, and a bed, as well as damaged and shattered windows. The manor also contained approximately 60 paintings, three Turkish carpets, a mangle, and even a skylark-catching net. The cellar housed wine from Voderady and Rača, dating from 1750, 1753, and 1757, some reserved for Mr. Ocskay.

The farm was modestly stocked, with 18 cows, 1 bull, 5 calves, 29 pigs, and some poultry. A shepherd tended 414 sheep, along with 117 purchased for Mr. Ocskay. The inventories also included kitchen equipment, a gardener’s tools, and dairy and cheese-making implements. The manor's mill was in very poor condition, and the inventories, written in poor Latin, included descriptions of the mill equipment in Slovak.

 

 

A period ink drawing, early 19th century

 

 

Existing literature states that the manor house was built in the mid-18th century. However, this date should likely be revised to a much earlier period.

Originally a single-story manor, it was extensively rebuilt and expanded between 1860 and 1870 by Count Franz Zichy. The reconstruction transformed the building into an early Empire-style structure, adding an extra floor to create a two-story, three-winged layout surrounding a square courtyard with an open southern side. The main front wing features a balustrade terrace facing the courtyard, supported by open segmental arcades. At the center of the façade, a biaxial projection is topped by a low attic adorned with two sculpted coats of arms belonging to the Zichy and Keglevich families.

The building is aligned with a symmetrically designed park, with the longitudinal façade featuring a central projection designed for a clear sightline.

Inside, the architectural highlights include a single-flight staircase and a grand hall on the upper floor. The main hall’s ceiling is decorated with stucco ornaments, while other rooms, featuring flat ceilings, are interconnected.

 

 

Drawing of the manor house

 

 

    Legend

 

The Hungarian county monograph from 1903 mentions a tradition that the manor house in Voderady once belonged to the Knights Templar. Historian Dr. Ovídius Faust posited that a Templar castle once stood in Voderady. He reached this conclusion based on historical findings indicating that in 1297, the owner of Voderady was Master Abraham Rufus, son of Menold. Some historians consider Master Abraham Rufus to have been a member of the Templar Order, and the ruins in the park to be remnants of a grand castle associated with this chivalric order.

O. Faust's theory is indirectly supported by the claim that Count František Ziči Sr. discovered a statue of the mysterious idol Baphomet in the underground chambers of the manor house. This statue was allegedly gifted to his friend, orientalist Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, in Vienna, where it is said to remain to this day. If the claim of the Baphomet statue’s discovery were true, it would represent a unique piece of evidence in the historical debate surrounding the Templars. However, the information regarding the discovery of the statue and its transfer to Hammer-Purgstall has not been verified.

O. Faust identified a wall near the manor house as the remains of a Templar castle. The wall, approximately 25 meters long and 7 meters high, features two square bastions. At its center is a faux semicircular portal, above which a Latin inscription plaque—originally from Orava Castle—was once mounted between two coats of arms. (for more details, see the section Stone Mysteries of the Voderady Park) The wall, designed in a Moorish-Iberian style, forms a corridor that adds a distinctive character to the park.

However, O. Faust's claims that this so-called "Templar ruin" represents the remnants of a genuine Templar fortress were refuted by research led by Ing. arch. Jana Žuffová. Her findings confirmed that the structure dates back to the 19th century and was constructed as a romantic addition to the park. Its purpose was to enhance the mysterious and ancient character of the Voderady park, aligning with the 19th-century trend of Romanticism in architecture and landscape design.

 

 

Interior of the manor house at the end of the 19th century

 

 

   Artistic and Historical Collections

 

The Voderady Manor became renowned primarily for its accumulated collections of artistic and historical artifacts from around the world and a large number of rare books. The manor housed valuable artistic items collected mainly during the travels of František Zichy Sr. in the 1770s through France, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. This collection was gradually expanded by his son František, grandson František, and great-grandson Jozef.

According to a detailed description in a county monograph, the ground floor housed a Louis XV Hall featuring oil paintings of Emperor Maximilian and his wife Charlotte by Austrian painter Winterhalter. Another room on the ground floor displayed rare Japanese porcelain, bronze artifacts, 45 candlesticks, and magnificent tall vases brought from Japan. The third room was accessed through masterfully inlaid 16th-century doors. The walls featured paintings by Tintoretto and van der Helter, rare cabinets, and a walking stick made from tropical wood with a diamond monogram from the King of Siam, gifted to František Zichy.

On the upper floor of the manor, there was a library containing between 10,000 and 12,000 books. Adjacent to the library was a study with old paintings and a Sicilian cabinet carved from walnut roots and adorned with 98 figurines. The study also contained a mosaic head from St. Mark's Basilica, a relief by Peter Fischer, and a portrait of František Deák by Barabás.

The manor’s bedroom was decorated with masterfully inlaid cabinets and paintings by old masters. In the grand hall, there were 17 silver reliefs created by Augsburg goldsmiths in the 16th and 17th centuries. The hall also featured a portrait of František Zichy by Blaas, inlaid cabinets, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Indian, German, and Chinese boxes, an Italian Renaissance ebony cabinet inlaid with ivory, old oil paintings, a porcelain vase from Herend, German cabinets with marble panels, and several exceptional ebony cabinets adorned with mother-of-pearl, precious stones, or carved figures.

The small salon was adorned with ivory works from the 15th and 16th centuries, a unique Chinese lacquered eight-panel screen inlaid with silk flowers, Chinese stone figurines and vessels, a collection of porcelain from the oldest factories, inlaid cabinets, oil paintings by old masters, and an ivory chalice from the catacombs of Ravenna, gifted by Archbishop Lonovics and dating back to the early Christian centuries.

The Chinese salon featured authentic Chinese wallpaper and furniture, numerous porcelain and enamel items, and a lacquered screen decorated with Chinese legends, a gift from Napoleon I to the Prince of Melz, which was later acquired by Count František Zichy from the prince's grandson.

In the writing room of the Countess, a Meissen service set, a gift from Maria Christina, was displayed, along with Indian and Venetian vitrines, eleven rare miniature paintings, and a collection of coins, medals, and seals.

The guest rooms were furnished with exquisite furniture and paintings. One room contained 68 copper engravings of Bratislava, old gouaches, and ten portraits of Count František Zichy and his family from 1809. Another room housed paintings by old masters, a relief from 1700, and a cabinet inlaid with various marbles.

The small cabinet contained a collection of Hungarian faience, while the eastern room displayed Emperor Maximilian’s saddle, old hunting weapons, Japanese arms, and poignant oil paintings.

In the large dining room, a remarkable collection of Chinese and Japanese ceramics (680 pieces) was displayed, while the serving room housed two authentic Urbino faience pieces, old Rhodian and Moorish plates, vases, bowls, and jugs. The upper dining room walls featured family portraits, 107 Japanese and Chinese vessels, and a rare 14th-century vase from Beijing. The staircase was adorned with Japanese bronze artifacts.

The manor’s chapel housed paintings from the 14th and 15th centuries, wood carvings from the Dürer School, and wooden mosaics. The altar showcased a beautiful ivory cross, a gift from French Archbishop Fénelon. The chapel also contained paintings from the 14th and 15th centuries and statues of St. Gerard, St. Stephen, and St. Elizabeth.

This concise description of the manor’s interior is based on the publication by D. Čambálová (D. Čambálová et al., Voderady 1243–1993).

 

 

 

The manor house in the early 20th century

 

 

    The Fate of the Collections

 

During World War II, approximately 90 German soldiers were stationed in the manor house. To protect its valuables, the owners stored the items in wooden crates in the ground floor and basement. These items were documented to still be present as of February 10, 1945. However, shortly before the arrival of Soviet troops, the owners transported the collections by chariot to the nearby village of Cífer. The precise destination remains unknown, but witnesses reported that Hungarian coachmen replaced the local drivers and continued to an undisclosed location. After the war, parts of the collection were looted, while others were hidden within the manor house.

Some artifacts were later recovered and moved to museums, including the Red Stone Museum, the Historical Museum in Bratislava, and the Western Slovak Museum in Trnava. Despite these efforts, the manor house lost the majority of its artistic and historical treasures, depriving Voderady of a cultural jewel of immense value.

 

In 1946, the manor house was assigned to state ownership, and from 1947, it housed the Directorate of State Assets. After the directorate was relocated to Modra, an agricultural vocational school was established in the manor house in the early 1950s. This school remained there until 2005, when it was moved to new premises, leaving the manor house abandoned and in a state of disrepair.

In the following years, several proposals for its use emerged—plans included transforming it into representative premises for the Trnava Self-Governing Region, a museum, or even a National Olympic Center. The local municipality, deeply invested in the manor house’s fate, repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring it, but its requests were not approved by the leadership of the Trnava Self-Governing Region.

Finally, in 2016, the manor house, along with the park, was sold by the Trnava Self-Governing Region below market price to the company Bohdal s.r.o. Since 2017, the manor house has been undergoing reconstruction.

 

 

 


 

 





Source: Čambálová, Daniela a kol. Voderady 12431993. Voderady: Obecný úrad 1993. Redakcia Voderady Info. Archive Voderady Info.