Fragments of original sgraffito decorations can still be seen beneath the peeling layers of plaster on the building’s façade, incorporating both figural and geometric motifs. The courtyard façade also features a Mannerist portal bearing the signature of Johann Pohl.

History

The present structure was constructed in several stages. In 1540, the original building, consisting of two wings, was erected at the initiative of Oswald I von Tschammer, the erstwhile owner of the manor. During the 1570s, the manor house received an additional, third wing, with a courtyard closed off by a wall towards the west. A number of rooms in the ground floor section of the eastern wing featured vaulted ceilings of the barrel type, adorned with strapwork ornaments. Sgraffito decorations graced the façades of the manor house. During the early 17th century, a Mannerist portal was incorporated into the western façade overlooking the courtyard, created by Johann Pohl, a sculptor from Głogów. During the 19th century, a colonnaded portico was added to the southern façade; in addition, the tower was extended upwards and received a crenellated parapet. The original interiors of the manor house were subdivided into smaller units in the modern era.

Description

The manor house, located in the middle of the village, is surrounded by a landscape park stretching across a piece of terrain which slopes gently downwards towards the Barycz river. The manor house itself consists of three distinct wings and is situated at the top of a hill surrounded by the remains of a moat. It is a two-storey structure with a basement, featuring an inner courtyard and a circular tower at the south-eastern corner. The eastern and southern wings are covered with hip roofs, wile the northern wing has a gable roof. The six-storey tower is topped with a tall, elaborate crenellation. The front (southern) façade is preceded by a colonnaded portico with rectangular, Tuscan pillars supporting a terrace with a solid balustrade. The western façade faces the courtyard and features a Mannerist portal positioned on its middle axis. A heavily sculpted architectural feature, the portal frames a doorway topped with a semi-circular arch. It is flanked by a pair of slender columns supporting a pediment with a roughly triangular outline. The portal is set against the background of an eared surround, with the eared extensions taking the form of faces shown in profile and incorporated into ornamental acanthus leaves. The portal decoration also incorporates arabesque motifs as well as putto heads. The windows of the manor house, rectangular in shape, are framed with eared sandstone surrounds. The basement features vaulted ceilings of the barrel type. Some of the rooms on the ground floor level also feature vaulted ceilings adorned with strapwork decorations. Some of the interiors were subdivided into smaller units in modern times.

The manor house is private property. The interiors are closed to visitors.

compiled by Maria Czyszczoń, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Wrocław, 23-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Krzyślak B., Osetno, gm. Góra Śląska, woj. leszczyńskie. Pałac. Dokumentacja historyczno-architektoniczna,, Przedsiębiorstwo Państwowe Pracownie Konserwacji Zabytków, Poznań 1979 [typescript in the Archive of the province Monuments Protection Office in Wrocław].
• Zabytki sztuki w Polsce. Śląsk, Warsaw 2006, p. 658.