Laukko Manor

Vesilahti, Finland

The written history of Laukko manor dates back to year 1416, but according the folklore the local chieftain Matti Kurki received it as a manor from the king of Sweden in the 13th century. The most famous of the medieval lords of Laukko was Klaus Kurki, the tragic hero of a ballad called The Death of Elina. In real life Klaus’s son Arvid became the last Bishop of Catholic Finland. At around the beginning of the 16th century the Kurcks had a stone castle built at Laukko as a symbol of their might and prosperity. The Kurki family owned Laukko until 1817. After that it has been owned by several families, for example famous industrialists Adolf Törngren and Rafael Haarla. Nowadays Laukko is a residence of the Lagerstam family.

The present neo-classic manor house was built in the 1930s. The estate reopened to the public in the summer of 2016, as the estate celebrates its 600th anniversary. For the first time, visitors can see the estate in its entire splendor. The visitors can now admire the main building’s unique collections of arts and antiquities and stroll in the estate’s vast gardens and grounds.

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Address

Laukontie 31, Vesilahti, Finland
See all sites in Vesilahti

Details

Founded: 1416
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Finland
Historical period: Middle Ages (Finland)

More Information

www.laukonkartano.fi

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Tampere Old Church (22,7 km)
Tampere City Hall (22,6 km)
Hatanpää Manor (21,1 km)
The Finnish Labour Museum Werstas (23 km)
Finlayson (23 km)
Vapriikki (23,1 km)
Lenin Museum (22,3 km)
Tampere Orthodox Church (22,8 km)
Tampere Art Museum (22,2 km)

User Reviews

Riina Pulkkinen (2 years ago)
Service is polite but not heartfelt. Food is really good. The place is scenic so make sure you take your camera with you. Check out daily program as well or grab your best picnic gear with you.
Samu Viitanen (2 years ago)
Beautiful and historical mansion in the heart of Pirkanmaa. Museum district offers many sights to see. Also offers tasty lunch.
Maris A (2 years ago)
Food quality and price do not match. Museum however was very interesting.
Milla Ahola (2 years ago)
Lunch is decent, but not great. Recommend visiting the museum and grounds.
Manu Kemppainen (3 years ago)
Nice atmosphere. Prepare to walk few kilometers if you want to see everything they offer.
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Soave Castle

Soave castle was built in 934 to protect the area against the Hungarian invasions. It was remodelled by Cansignorio of the Scaliger family in the mid-1300s. in 1365 Cansignorio had the town walls erected and the Town hall was built in the same year.

The castle underwent various vicissitudes until, having lost its strategic importance, it was sold on the private market in 1596. In 1830 it was inherited by Giulio Camuzzoni who restored the manor and in particular the surroundings walls (with is twenty-four towers), the battlements and living-quarters.

Soave castle is a typical medieval military edifice, commanding the neighbourhood of the city from the Tenda Hill. It comprises a mastio (donjon) and three lines of walls forming three courts of different size. The outer line, with a gate and a draw bridge, is the most recent, built by the Venetians in the 15th century. It houses the remains of a small church from the 10th century.

The second and larger court, the first of the original castle, is called della Madonna for a fresco portraying St. Mary (1321). Another fresco is visible after the door leading to the inner court, and portrays a Scaliger soldier. The mastio is the most impressive feature of the castle. Bones found within showed it was used also as prison and place of torture.

The House called del Capitano (the Scaliger commander) houses Roman coins, weapons parts, medals and other ancient remains found during the most recent restoration. Adjacent is a bedroom with a 13th-century fresco with St. Mary and Madeleine and a dining room with medieval kitchenware. Another room houses the portraits of the most famous Scaliger figures: Mastino I, Cangrande, Cansignorio and Taddea da Carrara, wife of Mastino II; the portrait of Dante Alighieri testify an alleged sojourn of the poet in the castle.

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