Kurtuvėnai Manor

It is believed that the most ancient Kurtuvenai manor house was built in 15th-16th century and destroyed by fire. Archaeologists unearthed fragments of the mansion foundations that testified to the existence of at least four residential homes.

First written data about Kurtuvenai mansion can be found in the 16th century sources whereby in 1592 the manor comprised more than twenty wooden buildings, five of which were residential. Kurtuvenai manor owner Petras Skaudvila drew up a detailed property inventory upon mortgage of his holding to Jurgis Karolis Blumbergas in 1655. The picture of the mansion is perfectly represented as follows, "The gate to the homestead is large, with towers, covered with shingles. Going from the gate to the right, there is a large shingled house. There are two large opposite rooms, four larders, four tile stoves and one white tile stove in the building. Two brick chimneys project out [...]".

Subsequent estate documents suggest deterioration of the building condition at the end of the 17th century. Many of the buildings, including the mansion, needed repairs. In the 18th century the estate was ruled by the Nagurskiai family who erected a wooden baroque complex consisting of a mansion, a barn (restored in 2006) and a coach house. A single-storey residential house with an attic was built of larch logs. It contained the lady's room, the lord's room, a billiard room, a living room, a hall, an office, a hallway and a locker. There were plenty of paintings, French and Polish books in the house.

In 1887 Kurtuvenai manor was bought by the Platers. The wooden mansion was pulled down and the construction of a new brick mansion began. The new building was completed in 1892. A two-storey edifice in the Historicism style with neo-baroque elements became the residence of Ludwik Plater Zyberk (1853-1939). The mansion consisted of 50 modestly equipped and furnished rooms. The mansion facade facing the park was decorated with the Platers and Dimsos (Count Ludwig's in-laws) coats of arms and a balcony. A more modest facade facing the barn was enlivened by a balcony and a terrace (balustrade) which was a favourite eating place of the landlords in summer. This section of the building was restored in 2008 (architect Regina Smilgeviciute). The outer appearance of the manor house on other sides can be judged by the surviving photographs of the building under demolition.

Of all the manorial buildings, the mansion was damaged most heavily during the First World War. The building was left without a roof after it was set on fire by Bermondtists in 1919. The count's family moved to the manor kitchen and lived there until the holding was nationalised in 1940. The Dirva newspaper (1939) wrote as follows, "There is a beautiful garden of Kurtuvenai manor, where you can see a number of rarer southern trees, in front of the church on the other side of the road. The manorial garden is cluttered up with desolate ruins quasi ancient castle. Rather thick birch trees grow on the high walls of the ruins. This is the former palace of counts Platers, where only eerie whining winds can be heard today. The beautiful manor house perished during the German occupation".

The mansion ruins overgrown with birches persisted after the Second World War until little by little, brick by brick they scattered around people's houses.

Today the restored balustrade of the Platers epoch and a knoll - the moulded basement remains - mark the place where Kurtuvenai manor house once stood.