Turnišče Castle, Renaissance mansion near Ptuj, Slovenia
Turnišče Castle is a mansion about 2.5 km south of central Ptuj, in the Breg-Turnišče district. Its present form dates to around 1763 and is attributed to the Viennese Baroque architect Josef Hueber. The complex covers 2,926.25 m² and includes a 26-hectare park, the silted and overgrown Turniški pond fed by the Turniška Studenčnica, and meadows to the north. A former granary stands beside the mansion.
Turnišče Castle was first mentioned in 1441 as Tuerens, succeeding the medieval fortress Treun-Pogrenje, which was the administrative centre of the Draneška estate in the 13th century. In 1676 Countess Suzana E. Thurn bought it and had it rebuilt; around 1763 it received its present form from Viennese Baroque architect Josef Hueber. In 1884 Baron Rudolf Warren Lippitt established a famous stud farm there, and after 1945 the estate was nationalised and housed the Ptuj Agricultural School.
The name Turnišče derives from Tuerens, first recorded in the 1441 division deed. In 1884 Baron Rudolf Warren Lippitt established a well-known stud farm here, and the estate stayed with his children until the end of World War II. After 1945 the Agricultural School of Ptuj occupied the mansion.
The grounds are accessible via multiple routes with parking areas near the main entrance for visitor convenience. Comfortable shoes are helpful for exploring the park and wooded sections of the property.
The 1987 fire was started by four workers who lit a fireplace to heat water; a worn chimney let sparks ignite old paper in the attic. The central roof section was rebuilt one storey higher than the historic silhouette.
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