ARISTAVĖLĖS DVARAS

History of the manor

Aristavėlė Manor House

For the first time, the manor of Aristavėlė (Arvista, Arvistava, Orvistava) was mentioned in the chronicle of the Teutonic Knights of Wartberg in 1371 as the manor of the nobleman Algimantas (Algeminas). It was a regional-administrative centre in the land of Upytė. During 16th and 17th centuries, Aristava manor was owned by the Šiukštai family who later sold it to the Zabielos family. The manor house was built around 1700 and is considered to have been built by Mykolas Zabiela (who died in 1734), who was then the owner of the manor. At the end of the 18th century, the estate was inherited by the Medekšos family who rebuilt the manor and adapted it to a new way of life but preserved the Baroque silhouette of the estate. Medekšos family owned the manor until World War II. The last owner Stefanas Medekša (1882-1962) moved to the West and died in London.

History of the manor

It is the only surviving valuable example of Lithuanian wooden Baroque architecture. The manor was rebuilt several times and the exterior and interior were reconstructed. During the second reconstruction at the end of the 19th century, the south-eastern part of the manor was redesigned and a 6-column portico was added. The ornate, expressive roof with a broken configuration and moulded cornices survives from the earliest Baroque period. During the Classical period, the planned structure and the heating system were modified. The interior spaces contain examples of paintings from the Classical period. Walls and ceilings are painted with interwoven Louis XV-style ornaments and folk motifs.

„Keliaujantis Aristavėlės dvaras – KAD" Project is being financed from 2014–2021 European Economic Area financial mechanism program „Developing access to culture and strengthening cultural education" funds

Project implementation deadline:
2021 july – 2023 november

Project partners