Koszuty Manor, Poland
by Jerzy Czyz
Title
Koszuty Manor, Poland
Artist
Jerzy Czyz
Medium
Digital Art
Description
Located near Środa Wielkopolska, a manor house and park complex at Koszuty, consisting of a Baroque alcove manor house with corner extensions from the second half of the 18th century, extended in the neo-Baroque style at the turn of the 20th century, and a park complex from the first half of the 19th century, is a representative example of a noble residence of that time not only in Greater Poland, but also on the scale of the whole country, due to its tangible and intangible values.
The noble manor house is a characteristic feature of the Polish landscape, being not only a work of architecture, but in a broader context also a historical and cultural phenomenon, deeply rooted in the native tradition. From the architect’s point of view, the manor house is a one-storey country house of a landowner, smaller than a castle or palace, but at the same time larger than a peasant’s cottage. Looking through the prism of Polish tradition and culture, the manor house should be perceived as a treasure trove of landed values, such as patriotism, positivist thought or specific customs of family and social life. As Professor Tadeusz S. Jaroszewski wrote: “During the 19th century, when Poland was deprived of independent existence, the Polish court, with its classical column porch, became a national symbol and bastion of patriotism, in which Polish traditions and customs were cherished, national relics were kept and the young generations were raised in the spirit of love of the homeland”.
The first historical mentions of the existence of the village of Koszuty date from the first quarter of the 12th century. It was owned by nobles from the 13th century. From the end of the 14th century, according to the registers, Koszuty were owned by the Leszczyce family, and in the 15th or 16th century the local branch of this family began to use the name “Koszutski”. Most probably in the 16th century, this family chose Koszuty for their seat, erecting the first manor house, but there are no clear data indicating the exact date. It may have been built as early as the second half of the 16th century; however, reliable information referring to the original manor house at Koszuty come only from the documents regarding the inspections of the building from 1737 and 1740, stating the considerable extent of its deterioration and the necessity of its thorough repair. Soon after, ownership of the property was taken over by the Zabłocki family of the Łada coat of arms.
Around 1760, a Baroque manor house with corner extensions, probably located on the site of the former Koszutski family manor house, was erected for Jozef Zabłocki, starost of Trzebisław. The manor house was built on a rectangular plan, facing east, with a nine-axis facade flanked by two small uniaxial corner extensions to the west. The one-storey building is topped with a hip mansard roof covered with wood shingles. The central part of the facade was fitted with an impressive three-axial wall dormer with volutes characteristic of the Baroque period, while on the opposite side, a semi-circular, three-axial, two-storey avant-corps was placed in the centre of the west facade. Inside the manor house, in the middle part, there was a hallway, which was extended by an elliptical drawing room, and on both sides of them two large square rooms in a two-bay layout were symmetrically arranged.
Over the years, the manor house and its surroundings have changed, and the property itself remained in the possession of one family by inheritance. As late as the turn of the 19th century, the building was extended by adding two gable annexes reminiscent of its architectural form, covered with three-sided roofs. In the first quarter of the 19th century, when Koszuty was ruled by Augustyn Zabłocki and his wife Franciszka nee Sieroszewska, a park was established, which was later extended. A significant extension of the manor house took place at the beginning of the 20th century, commissioned by the then owner, Witold Kosiński. Maintained in the neo-Baroque style, it involved the enlargement of the corner extensions on the western side and the addition of new, one-axis corner extensions on the eastern side, with the form of all corner extensions being unified by covering them with spherical roofs. In the central part of the facade, a wooden veranda was erected, covered with a flattened gable roof and crowned with an openwork parapet.
Uploaded
July 17th, 2021
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