Prežek Mansion, Historical mansion in Cerov Log, Slovenia

Prežek Mansion is a mansion near Cerov Log in the Dolenjska region, successor to the old Prežek castle first recorded at the end of the 12th century. The Turjaški family built the mansion in the 15th century, and it was enlarged and added to in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was destroyed and burned by Slovenian partisans during the Second World War and has not been restored since; today it is only partly protected against further decay.

The old Prežek castle below Gorjanci was built in the first half of the 12th century by the Prisi lords, relatives of the Višnjegorski lords, and is documented from 1180 as the seat of the Preissekh knights. In the 15th century the Turjak family built the mansion, held as a fief of the Freising bishops; Žiga Turjak sold it to the Sigersdorf family after 1547, and they enlarged it in the 16th and 17th centuries. Andrej Smole bought it in 1833, and it was auctioned in 1849. Slovenian partisans burned it during World War II and it was never rebuilt.

The building shows how Slovenian noble families lived and built their homes, and it appears in historical collections from the 1600s that recorded regional architecture. Its design reflects the building traditions that shaped this part of Slovenia over many generations.

The mansion stands abandoned in a remote location, so plan extra time to reach and explore it. The path runs through Cerov Log and requires careful navigation across rural terrain.

The mansion was destroyed and burned by Slovenian partisans during World War II, not by Italian forces, and it was never rebuilt afterwards. Today only partial protection against further decay remains, so the site is a ruin rather than a standing residence.