Pyhäniemi Manor

Pyhäniemi is one of the most culturally significant manor milieus in Finland. The history of Pyhäniemi manor dates back to the year 1467. During the 16th and 17th centuries it became a very remarkable horse farm. In 1780 Gustav III, the king of Sweden, ordered to construct a new main building and donated Pyhäniemi to his general Carl Johan Schmiedefelt. The end of the 19th century was the heyday of Pyhäniemi Manor. The householder Oscar Collin owned 10000 hectacres farm and 250 cows. The manor had also a sawmill and a wheelworks. In 1912 Collin lost the Pyhäniemi Manor in a gamble to Dutchman Hendrik Max Gilse van der Pals in Monte Carlo Casino. The manor of was the residence of Van der Pals until 1919.

In 1930s Pyhäniemi was a site for filming for the Suomi-Filmi studios and it was called as the "Hollywood in Hollola". During the Winter War (1939-1940) Pyhäniemi manor was used as the base of Finland Air Force operating from the lake nearby.

The two-storey main building is from the 1820s and its present appearance dates from renovation carried out in 1907. The large auxiliary building flanking the yard was built in the 1880s. The manor is surrounded by a park and a tree-lined lane leads to the main building. Today the manor offers art exhibitions, high-class concerts and conference services.

Address

Ritanraitti 1-19, Hollola, Finland

Details

Founded: 1780, 1907
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Finland
Historical period: The Age of Enlightenment (Finland)