Beladice – Manor Houses, Ceramic Art and Sacred Heritage

Beladice lies in the Danubian Lowland on the Žitava Table and combines a flat landscape with manor houses, parks and sacred buildings. The Drevenica stream flows through the village; it rises below the Tribeč Mountains and flows into the Žitava River. The attractions mentioned include the Szentiványi and Pustý Chotár manor houses, the Natural Gallery of Art Ceramics and the Dolnožitavská cycling route.

Culture and Architectural History

Pustý Chotár Manor House was built around 1820 by the noble Jesenský family. Inside, a faience fireplace in the form of a pseudo-Renaissance sideboard dating from the 1890s has been preserved. The manor house and its original park were extensively reconstructed and renovated from 1998 to 2003. The manor house is home to the Natural Gallery of Art Ceramics, which is freely accessible to tourists and the general public. The International Ceramics Workshop began in 1999 on the grounds of the listed manor house. By 2009, a total of eight workshops had been held, involving more than 50 artists from 22 countries.

Szentiványi Manor House also bears several clearly recognisable historical traces. In 1874, it was extensively remodelled for O. Sentiváni according to plans by V. Balogh in a romantic Neo-Baroque and Neoclassical style. The main façade faces the park; coffered ceilings and wooden wall panelling have been preserved on the ground floor. The park also contains a mausoleum of the Szentiványi family dating from 1874. Park Hotel Tartuf and the manor house together form a protected cultural monument.

Another historic building is the Sirániovský Manor House in Veľké Chrašťany. The two-storey Neoclassical building dates from the late 18th century and is currently in ruins and an abandoned state.

Sacred Heritage

In Veľké Chrašťany, the present parish Church of Saint John of Nepomuk was built between 1795 and 1804. An earlier church, built on the same site in 1332, had already stood there but was destroyed during Turkish raids. The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Malé Chrašťany was built by the Ramplet family in 1863 as a family burial chapel; it was adapted for worship in the 1980s. The statue of Saint John of Nepomuk is a folk-Baroque work dating from 1766 and stands in front of house no. 17. In Pustý Chotár, the Church of Our Lady of Fatima was consecrated on 22 October 2000, after the initial construction work began on 25 February 1994.

Landscape and Cycling Route

The park surrounding Szentiványi Manor House contains rare deciduous trees, particularly linden trees and poplars. The park by the manor house is registered as an immovable national cultural monument under number ÚZPF 1397/2; the protected features include, in particular, the park vegetation. According to the route description, the Dolnožitavská cycling route leads to Beladice, is 43 km long, has an elevation gain of 77 metres and is suitable for road bikes and mountain bikes.

More destinations

For further options, you can also view Nemčiňany, Slepčany, Čierne Kľačany, Veľké Vozokany, Martin Nad Žitavou, Beladice, Skýcov and Hostie .

To the overarching travel overview: Zlaté Moravce.