Stāmeriena castle
Architectural monument of national significance.
The castle belongs to the earliest group of neo-Gothic castles in Latvia.
Compared to other manors in the district, Stāmeriena manor is relatively new. It is known that around 1765 the Stāmere half-manor with a mill and a pub was founded by Lake Stāmeriena, which was part of the territory of Vecgulbene manor. In 1802, the Stāmeriena half-manor separated from Vecgulbene as an independent unit. The first owner of the manor was Johann Gottlieb von Wolf, but after his death it was inherited by his descendants.
Information about the construction history of the manor buildings is contradictory and it is not possible to indicate the exact years of their construction and architects. However, it is believed to have developed in the 19th century. l. half. Stāmeriena Castle was built in the historicist style and its construction can be dated from 1843 to 1850, as the consecration of the castle took place in 1852, it is possible that the south-western part of the castle was completed later. The castle was burnt down during the 1905 revolution. Reconstruction work began shortly afterwards, which was completed in 1908. The castle was not restored to its previous appearance;
One part of the façade of the castle has a raised roof, and small square towers have been built in the corners. After the renovation, a round tower with a tiled roof end was rebuilt. The upper part of the façade has ridges. In the upper part of the large square tower there is a square spike with four small towers in the corners. Semicircular openings have been built on the first floor of the façade. At the end of the façade, a decorative frame with pilasters and volutes is created for the window in the raised part of the roof. In this part of the roof, above the eaves, a decorative balustrade is built in front of the window. An intersection is created in the corners of the square tower and the facade. The main façade of the castle is partly decorated with decorative vines. In front of the main part of the facade there are eight decorative columns arranged in pairs, which support a light roof. The lobby of the castle is a rather large room, which is connected to the second floor by a staircase. In places, rosettes and bay leaves can be found on the ceiling as decorative elements. The ceiling itself is cassette.
The castle hall is an elongated room with doors and 6 windows. Herringbone parquet floor. The walls are smooth and periodically redistributed with pilasters placed on the base of wooden panels. The design of the hall shows a rich combination of classicism and baroque motifs in the chaotic play of form and white in the neo-style.
In 1919, an evening school for adults was established in the castle. In 1945, an agricultural technical school was opened there, but in later years the office of the Soviet farm was located there.
The castle is surrounded by a 24.3-hectare park, designed in the free or English style. The park is arranged according to the so-called fan-shaped principle. in which landscape perspectives exit from a single composition center - Stāmeriena Castle. The park can be considered one of the best examples of fan-like composition in Latvia. There are some other manor houses in the vicinity - a barn, a gardener's house, an Orthodox church and others.
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