Kapetanovo () is a
Neo-Gothic castle located in the village of
Stari Lec
Stari Lec () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Plandište municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. One of Stari Lec's best known landmarks is Kapetanovo Castle.
Name
In Serbian, the village is known as ''Stari ...
, in the
Plandište municipality in northeastern
Serbia. In 1991, it was included on the national list of
monuments of culture of great importance Immovable Cultural Heritage of Great Importance ( sr, Непокретна културна добра од великог значаја / ''Nepokretna kulturna dobra od velikog značaja'') are those objects of Immovable cultural heritage that enjo ...
, and since then it has been protected.
History
The castle was built in 1904 by
ispán of
Torontál County (
Kingdom of Hungary,
Austria-Hungary)
Béla Botka. He wanted to create a residence that would resemble a
medieval castle, and that was one of the reasons for the construction of the
neogothic palace. Kapetanovo is located near the road
Vršac–
Zrenjanin, about 2 km southwest from the small village of
Stari Lec
Stari Lec () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Plandište municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. One of Stari Lec's best known landmarks is Kapetanovo Castle.
Name
In Serbian, the village is known as ''Stari ...
.
After losing almost all of his wealth on gambling, owner Béla decided to sell the castle, as the last possible solution to solve his financial situation. After he told his wife Ema about this, she was so devastated that on the night of 2 August 1938, she climbed to the highest tower of Kapetanovo, poured gasoline on herself and burned to death.
Nevertheless, in an auction in 1938, Kapetanovo was sold to a wealthy merchant Franc Maj. He purchased it as the main part of his daughter's dowry. After the wedding, she and her husband
Milan Kapetanov
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
moved in, and the castle took his name. During this time, Kapetanovo flourished. They created large fountains and gardens all around the castle compound, and the only part that was constantly locked was the tallest tower, where
Emma Botka burned herself.
Milan was Kapetanovo's owner up until the end of
World War II; after the
Law on Nationalization, the castle was seized by the communist
Yugoslavia's government.
Architecture
Kapetanovo Castle is an example of
neogothic architecture. It has two entrances, and around it there was a spacious park (now defunct) with a fountain. One of the most specific architectural specifications is a
crow-stepped gable stretching along three sides of castle. With simple white
façade and an
elevated entrance
An elevated entrance is a type of entrance, common in the design of medieval castles, that is not accessible from ground level, but lies at the level of an upper storey. The elevated entrance is the lowest and frequently the only way of ent ...
, the building's harmonious proportions are pointed out with high square towers with
crenellation. All the windows have sharp
gothic arch
A pointed arch, ogival arch, or Gothic arch is an arch with a pointed crown, whose two curving sides meet at a relatively sharp angle at the top of the arch. This architectural element was particularly important in Gothic architecture. The earli ...
es, and with false
arrow loops on top of the tower, the architect's idea of creating a pseudo-medieval castle is clearly visible.
Restoration
After the nationalization, the castle was mostly abandoned and empty for nearly 40 years. In 1987, reconstruction started, but it was soon abandoned after basic conservation work.
Then, in August 2006, vast work on the restoration of the castle commenced, and it was renovated into a restaurant with a hotel.
As the castle is under protection of the
Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts as a
monuments of culture of great importance Immovable Cultural Heritage of Great Importance ( sr, Непокретна културна добра од великог значаја / ''Nepokretna kulturna dobra od velikog značaja'') are those objects of Immovable cultural heritage that enjo ...
, the reconstruction was a faithful restoration of the original design.
See also
*
Monuments of Culture of Great Importance Immovable Cultural Heritage of Great Importance ( sr, Непокретна културна добра од великог значаја / ''Nepokretna kulturna dobra od velikog značaja'') are those objects of Immovable cultural heritage that enjo ...
*
Tourism in Serbia
*
Castles in Serbia
References
{{Castles, fortresses and palaces in Serbia, state=autocollapse
Plandište
Cultural Monuments of Great Importance (Serbia)
Castles in Serbia
Manor houses in Serbia
Houses completed in 1904
Gothic Revival architecture in Serbia