Budmerice manor house

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During the tour visitors can see several rooms furnished with items that used to be part of the House of Slovak writers, as well as with the collection items belonging to the Slovak National Museum – Castle Museum Červený Kameň. kastiel001All items are exhibits that come from the abandoned and nationalized noble houses hauled by the Slovak Culture Committee after WW2 – any of the items do not belong to the original furnishing of the manor house before 1945. Budmerice manor house is under the authority of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic and the operation of exhibition and its ideological and expertise background is ensured by the Slovak National Museum – Castle Museum Červený Kameň. It is possible to arrange marriage ceremony and to take photos in the manor house.

kastiel003The builder of the manor house is Ján Pálffy (1857 – 1934) who came of the older line of family related to the castle Červený Kameň. The manor house was built in years 1888 – 1889. It is a composition of several styles and periods. The story goes that the mixture of different styles caused the fact that during his visit in France the count fell in love with the French countess who he wanted to propose. He set his mind that he must adapt his castles (e.g. Smolenice Castle) so they resemble the French castles. However, the lady concerned married before he could finish it. This rumour is absolutely groundlessly adopted from the commentary of guides of Bojnice Castle and it is related to Ján Pálffy (1829 – 1908), the last male descendant of the younger line of family. It is ungrounded “story” made up by some romantic guide who mistake Ján Pálffy for another count of the same name, whereby neither of them rebuilt Smolenice Castle.

park002The author of the manor house design is a Viennese architect Franz von Neumann. The manor house is surrounded by a beautiful English park with plenty of old and huge trees.

The manor house was a summerhouse for the nobility and considering Pálffy’s likeness for hunt, the surrounding was used for hunting. Near the manor house there was a pheasantry and the remnants of its enclosure can be seen in the forest even today. The Pálffys used to be feudal lords in Budmerice which were part of their estate of castle Červený Kameň.

PannaMariaLurdskaJán Pálffy built also a small factory in Budmerice – starch factory, he modernized the Upper farm (Horný majer) together with the farm in part Biely vŕšok, he also built Palimajír and under the impulse of the priest (who was the tutor of his son) he let build the Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. The statue is located only several metres near the manor house park, on the forest way leading to the castle Červený Kameň.

kastielska_alejAfter the Ján Pálffy’s death (1934) Budmerice manor house became the inheritance of his only son Pavol. In years 1938 – 1943 Louise de Vilmorin, the former fiancée of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, lived and wrote here as the fifth of the Pálffy’s eight wives. The count emigrated in 1945 and the manor house was nationalized.
In years 1946 and 1986 it was variously modified and was used as the House of Slovak writers until 2011.

The manor house is on the General list of the cultural sites.

Translated by Michaela Gavalčínová.