Štatenberg Manor

Štatenberg Manor is a Baroque building near the town of Makole, on the edge of the Haloze hills above the Dravinja River, named after the original Štatenberg Castle, which stood in the village of Stari Grad as early as the mid-13th century. It is best known for its connection to the Hungarian nobleman Baron Franjo Tahy, the main instigator of the great Slovene-Croatian peasant revolt of 1573. In the late 17th century, the owners of the Štatenberg estate, the Counts of Attems, decided to abandon the medieval castle of the same name—now in ruins—perched above Makole, and to move into the valley. They chose a gentle, scenic hill nearby and built their new manor there, which soon grew into the magnificent residence we see today.

The splendid Baroque manor was most likely commissioned in 1690 by Count Ignaz Maria Attems as his summer residence and is believed to have been completed between 1720 and 1740. The Attems family were among the most influential noble houses in Styria, particularly during the Baroque period. The manor was probably designed especially for them by the Graz architect Johann Joachim Carlon, who also built the Attems Palace in Graz. The building has a symmetrical layout, and inside it originally featured a small Baroque garden, later redesigned in the English landscape style, traces of which remain preserved to this day.

It is best known for the frescoes and stucco work in the grand ceremonial hall and the elegant salons located to its left and right. The allegories on the ceiling of the grand hall, framed with stucco, depict scenes from ancient mythology: Science and Art under the protection of Peace, as well as the four elements — air, earth, water, and fire — which are generally recognised as a symbolic hallmark of the Attems family.

The northern access road is lined with a chestnut avenue. The wider park area is planted with native and exotic trees, among which an enormous Douglas fir (a conifer imported from North America) particularly stands out. Winding paths run between them, and the park transitions on its western side into a forest where ponds once lay.

After the Attems family, many noble families and individuals owned the manor. In 1910, part of the manor with the chapel burned down, but the owners restored it, except for the chapel. From the First World War until the start of the Second, the manor was owned by industrialist Neumann from Zagreb.

After the Second World War, the manor stood unused for some time, until in the 1980s it was revitalised, restored, and re-promoted, resuming its activities.

Today, the manor is owned by the company Impol from Slovenska Bistrica. It houses Hospitality Dvorec Štatenberg, the Foundation for the Preservation of Štatenberg Manor, the Štatenberg Tourist Association, the Makole Winegrowers’ Association, and the Moto Club Grofi Attems.

It is also the perfect venue for your dream, fairy-tale wedding. The manor offers, all in one place, the possibility of both civil and church ceremonies, as well as a wedding reception and celebration. With its lavish and spacious halls and its beautiful courtyard, it can host both large and intimate wedding festivities.