Loona Manor, Saaremaa, Estonia - SpottingHistory.com

Small Loona manor-house in Kihelkonna is a vivid example of a long and complex story of reaching it's present form. Oldest parts of the building date back to Middle Ages, the cellar uses battlements of an old vassal-castle built in the 16th century. Next major stage of building took place in 1785-1786, when the building was given most of it's present appearance.

Today Loona manor hosts a guesthouse, café and restaurant. The surrounding beautiful park is ideal for daily walks.

Reference: Visit Estonia

User Reviews

Simas Balčiūnas (2 years ago)
Wonderful place, very delicious food, big portions. The host is very friendly and nice. Absolutely recommend it.

Didzis Balodis (2 years ago)
Food is delicious, but the choice is limited only to few dishes in every category. For a Main course we had a choice between Meat stew, Fish of the day and a Wild boar dish. No separate children menu. Overall a good choice if you happen to be in that region, as there are not much alternatives.

Zane S (2 years ago)
Excellent food and great prices. Location isoff thebeaten track but very fitting. The host/server was really gentle and accommodating. Ordered large fish soup, it came in a extra large bowl aka about 1L. The taste was excellent. Dessert was berry merengue pie, again excellent. They take card too.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Nicola since 1972

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Royal Palace of Naples was one of the four residences near Naples used by the Bourbon Kings during their rule of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1734-1860): the others were the palaces of Caserta, Capodimonte overlooking Naples, and the third Portici, on the slopes of Vesuvius.

Construction on the present building was begun in the 17th century by the architect Domenico Fontana. Intended to house the King Philip III of Spain on a visit never fulfilled to this part of his kingdom, instead it initially housed the Viceroy Fernando Ruiz de Castro, count of Lemos. By 1616, the facade had been completed, and by 1620, the interior was frescoed by Battistello Caracciolo, Giovanni Balducci, and Belisario Corenzio. The decoration of the Royal Chapel of Assumption was not completed until 1644 by Antonio Picchiatti.

In 1734, with the arrival of Charles III of Spain to Naples, the palace became the royal residence of the Bourbons. On the occasion of his marriage to Maria Amalia of Saxony in 1738, Francesco De Mura and Domenico Antonio Vaccaro helped remodel the interior. Further modernization took place under Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. In 1768, on the occasion of his marriage to Maria Carolina of Austria, under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga, the great hall was rebuilt and the court theater added. During the second half of the 18th century, a 'new wing' was added, which in 1927 became the Vittorio Emanuele III National Library. By the 18th century, the royal residence was moved to Reggia of Caserta, as that inland town was more defensible from naval assault, as well as more distant from the often-rebellious populace of Naples.

During the Napoleonic occupation the palace was enriched by Joachim Murat and his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, with Neoclassic decorations and furnishings. However, a fire in 1837 damaged many rooms, and required restoration from 1838 to 1858 under the direction of Gaetano Genovese. Further additions of a Party Wing and a Belvedere were made in this period. At the corner of the palace with San Carlo Theatre, a new facade was created that obscured the viceroyal palace of Pedro de Toledo.

In 1922, it was decided to transfer here the contents of the National Library. The transfer of library collections was made by 1925.

The library suffered from bombing during World War II and the subsequent military occupation of the building caused serious damage. Today, the palace and adjacent grounds house the famous Teatro San Carlo, the smaller Teatrino di Corte (recently restored), the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III, a museum, and offices, including those of the regional tourist board.

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