Strážky Manor House Park

History

The exact year of the foundation is unknown. It's possible that the renaissance manor house in Strážky which used to be a host to aristocracy of spiš had customised even the immediate environment. We can suppose that after change of the owner during the first half of the 19th century there was a park founded in the style of that period which made the castle look more romantic. From the maps we can suppose that already in 1822 there was an area situated on the west side of the Manor House that was customised as a park. Cadastral map from 1870 shows already stabilized park disposition which implies its foundation until the second third of the 19th century. The park as it is nowadays exists from the last third of the 19th century as the older visualisation had been extended and unificated.

The most well known owner of the Manor House in Strážky is the Mednyánszky family. An influential representative of central european paints. Ladislav Mednyánszky (1852 – 1919) had his own stable artist's workshop in Strážky. His niece, baroness Margita Czóbelová (1891 – 1972) lived in the Manor House until her death. Ladislav Mednyánsky was born to the spouses Eduard Mednyánszky and Marie Anne, born Szirmayová 23rd of april in 1852 in Beckov. A young family lived in Beckov although they often visited Baltazár Szirmay in Strážky where they had moved after his death in 1861/62. The artist felt at home in Strážky. Probably the most important time of his art career was the end of 70s of the 19th century. This was the time when he aplied techniques of French art. Another important time was the 90s after he spent a lot of time in foreign countries such as Paris, Vienna or Budapest. At this time there were pieces of work with a mystic, even dark themes created by him. These works had helped him to cope with his father's death in 1895. The painter Ladislav Mednyánszky died in Vienna 17th of april 1919 at the age of 66 years.

https://www.sng.sk/sk/strazky/navsteva/historia-kastiela

Description of the park

This park, as it is nowadays is based on natural compositional principles. It's enclosed by the fence, beside the southern part where its border is the river Poprad. This natural landscape southwards from the river is its integral part. The author had by wilfull act included this surrounding nature as a part of bordering the park. There are three entrances to the park. The main gate is in the northern part, another one is at the westernmost corner of the park.

The author of the park disposition had an ingenious idea for the placement of the ground to create the idealisation of the land. The Manor House is standing on a narrow field which declines by a steep hill to the other narrow field up to 10 meters difference. There are many walking paths around the park. Partially there are the original parts and some of them are newly made.

On the west side of the park, a part incorporated to the original park disposition at the end of the 19th century there is a large grass meadow with trees plated in in the shape of a circle. Massive lime trees create a very impressive rondel here. Lime trees occuring in this area were very damaged so there was a new rondel created westward from the original one. There are two rondels in the park at the moment.

The equipment of the park is made mainly of an architecture created in the last decade. When talking about the equipment of the park we have to mention the presence of an exterior exposition of the slovak plastic art located in certain parts of the park. Works of art are placed in the border parts of site groups. There are works of art of classic slovak modern statuary. We are talking for example about an extremly impressive plastic art Milenci – Lovers created by A. Trizuliak or interestingly impressive Megalit by P. Meluzin.

Fauna and flora of the park

Most of the plants growing here are timber species from domestic origins. There are no dendrological curiosities in the park. Species of plants growing here are for example lime tree, oak tree, chestnut tree, ash tree, spruce and other.

Current use

Strážky Manor House is nowadays a representative of Slovak National Gallery which presents exhibits of art of Spiš, Strážky and mainly art of the famous Ladislav Menyánszky (1852 – 1919). A particular part of this exposition is presenting historic humanistic library of 16th – 20th century and a family gallery of the owners of the Manor House. Hand in hand with the external exposition of statuary of 20th century it makes an unforgettable experience to visit Strážky.

Contact

č.t.: 052/245 40 00

strazky@sng.sk

Kaštieľ Strážky
Mednyánszkeho 25
059 01 Spišská Belá – Strážky

https://www.sng.sk/sk/strazky/navsteva/kde-nas-najdete

Plan your way

Opening hours

Accessibility of the park