Beladice brings together ceramic art and a layered architectural history. The Gallery of Artistic Ceramics displays its works in the park and in the rooms of a manor house. Other points of interest include historic manor houses, a church in Veľké Chrašťany and Pustý Chotár Park. The setting by the Drevenica stream is also part of the picture. When planning a trip, you can weigh up art, architecture and landscape through these specific details.
Location and waterways
Beladice lies in the Danubian Lowland, on the Žitava Plateau. The Drevenica stream flows through the area; it rises below the Tribeč Mountains and flows into the Žitava River. The names refer to different points along the watercourse: Drevenica is the stream that flows through Beladice, and Žitava is the river into which it flows. The Tribeč Mountains also place the source of the Drevenica in its landscape setting. These geographical relationships add another perspective on Beladice alongside its historic buildings.
Ceramic art in the park and manor house
The Gallery of Artistic Ceramics is freely accessible to tourists and the general public. As a permanent outdoor exhibition, it displays its works in both the park and the rooms of the manor house. The art can therefore be encountered in two different settings rather than being confined to a single exhibition space. The gallery opened in August 2007. For art enthusiasts, the combination of ceramics, park and manor house is a defining aspect of the area: the exhibition theme sits alongside the architecture and landscaped surroundings, rather than apart from them.
Manor houses and architectural history
Beladice is home to a Baroque manor house dating from the late 18th century, which belonged to the Szentiványi family. The Sentiványi Manor was extensively remodelled in 1874 to plans by V. Balogh, in a Romantic Neo-Baroque-Classicist style. The complex also includes a family mausoleum and a crypt from the same year. Coffered ceilings and wooden wall panelling have been preserved on the ground floor. Different architectural aspects come together here: the stylistic description of the remodelling, the mausoleum and crypt, and surviving details of the interior.
Another manor house is located in Pustý Chotár. It was built in 1808 by royal councillor Karol Jesenský and is Neoclassical. The dates refer to different building works: 1808 marks the construction of this manor house, while 1874 refers to the extensive remodelling of Sentiványi Manor. These dates should therefore not be read as equivalent founding years when comparing the buildings’ history. Together, the details provide an overview of several periods and architectural styles without conflating the two works.
Church and Pustý Chotár Park
In Veľké Chrašťany stands the Church of St John Nepomuk, a Neoclassical church built between 1795 and 1804. Inside is a stone Rococo baptismal font with sculpted rocaille decoration, dating from the mid-18th century. The font is therefore older than the church building. The building and its furnishings can thus also be distinguished chronologically: one dates from the turn of the 19th century, while the other dates from the mid-18th century.
The trees in Pustý Chotár Park include native deciduous species such as maple, ash and lime. The park is also home to a red-leaved specimen of the copper beech, Fagus sylvatica 'Atropunicea'. For visitors interested in nature and garden culture, these offer two different points of interest: the named tree species as part of the park’s collection, and a specifically identified cultivar as an individual specimen. Together with the ceramic exhibition in the park and the historic buildings, they create a layered picture of the area, made up of art, architecture and botanical details.
Discover more destinations: Martin Nad Žitavou, Nemčiňany, Slepčany, Čierne Kľačany, Vieska Nad Žitavou, Hostie, Červený Hrádok, Zlatno.
For the broader travel overview: Zlaté Moravce.
