Manors, Parks and Gardens in Slavonia in the 18th Century
Manors, Parks and Gardens in Slavonia in the 18th Century

Summary/Abstract: Manor houses were built in a period when Croatia was a part of the Habsburg monarchy, from the 17th until the beginning of the 20th century. Manors in Slavonia (eastern part of Northern Croatia, Baranya and Western Syrmia) have been built only since the first half of the 18th century, after Slavonia was liberated from Ottoman occupation in 1699. The hunting manor of Prince Eugene of Savoy in Bilje (Belje-Bellye, Baranya) was the first manor house built after the Ottoman occupation. Narratives about manors do not only give an image of buildings and parks but also of the social, cultural and historical ambience, of the time, of their construction, of estates in which these manors were used as residences, of the economic value of estates, of their different owners, of the settlements that developed in the surroundings of the manors. About 40 manors were built in the area of Slavonia. The original drawings / projects of manors and parks / gardens have not been preserved, only various maps and a few documents. The first parks next to Slavonian manors were built in the middle of the 18th century, and a larger number at the end of the 18th century. The most important is the hunting park in Valpovo, drawn on the map of the manor from 1786 and on the cadastral map from 1863. It is partially preserved. The parks and gardens of Slavonian manors are small in area, only a few of them are larger than 10 hectares. Unstable political circumstances in the 18th century, poor economy after 150 years of Ottoman rule, existence of few and small manors from the first half of the 18th century, long wars, exhausted and impoverished nobility – all of these reasons hindered the construction of parks and gardens. The few parks conceived in the Baroque era were redesigned and expanded in the 19th century. Only in the middle and in the second half of the 19th century did gardens and parks reach their peak – former small gardens were enlarged and new larger parks with landscape-romantic features were built. During the second half of the 20th century, until today, manors and gardens have been largely neglected. With a few exceptions, each one needs maintenance, renovation, and regular care. Some have disappeared. Few were rebuilt in the 20th century, but not always successfully.

• Details
• Contents