Palatul Teleki de la Gornești este deseori supranumit "Perla Mureșului", pentru că este un minunat palat baroc, relativ bine conservat, ale cărui grădini au supraviețuit comunismului, aflat pe mal de Mureș și pe drumul principal Reghin - Târgu Mureș.
Palatul de la Gornești se remarcă prin dimensiunile sale dar și prin figurile ilustre din istoria sa multiseculară. Din cele ce urmează vom învăța că familia de baroni Teleki a dat numeroși oameni de seamă Transilvaniei.
Domeniul și un castel mai vechi sunt atestate documentar din evul mediu. Primul Teleki la Gornești este Teleki Mihály, care a primit domeniul de la Mihail Apafi I, Principele Transilvaniei (cel care l-a biruit pe Ioan Kemény). Mihály Teleki a fost cancelar al Transilvaniei și susținător al Casei de Habsburg, care la acea vreme era în plină ofensivă împotriva turcilor, căutând să cucerească Ungaria, Transilvania și să pătrundă în Balcani. A murit în 1790 în Bătălia de la Zărnești dintre trupele austriece și armata Curuților a lui Imre Thököly, susținut de otomani și de oastea lui Constantin Brâncoveanu (1788-1814). De ce era Brâncoveanu aliat cu otomanii și nobilimea maghiară împotriva Habsburgilor? Pentru că se temea de extinderea puterii acestora și de anexarea Țării Românești la Imperiul Austriac, cum avea să se întâmple vremelnic cu Oltenia și mai târziu cu Bucovina, cu consecințe nefericite până în zilele noastre.
Revenind la destinul familiei Teleki și la Gornești, un nepot al lui Mihály Teleki, László Teleki, va reconstrui palatul în formă barocă (1778), așa cum îl știm astăzi, apelând la un arhitect austriac renumit: Andreas Mayerhoffer. Printre palatele construite de acesta în spațiul habsburgic se numără superbul Palat Grassalkovich din Bratislava, astăzi reședința Președintelui Slovaciei (nu îl puteți rata dacă vizitați orașul, e pe bulevardul principal lângă orașul medieval). Palatul de la Gornești avea să fie terminat de fiul lui László Teleki, József, precum și de fiul lui Andreas Mayerhoffer, Johan, dovadă a faptului că lucrurile mărețe se fac în timp, uneori pe parcursul mai multor generații.
Mergând pe drumul principal Reghin - Târgu Mureș, doar indicatoarele și copacii seculari dau de gol prezența domeniului de la Gornești. După ce se trece de poarta principală, se traversează un mic lac pe un pod romantic din cărămidă. Trăsura poate trece prin corpul central al palatului pentru a ieși în curtea din spate, care dă spre grădinile luxuriante cu arbori uneori la fel de vechi ca palatul. Sălile din corpul principal au început să fie restaurate de când platul a fost recuperat de un urmaș al familiei, Teleki Kálmán. În fiecare an, pe 21 iulie, se sărbătoresc zilele palatului și acesta poate fi vizitat cu tururi ghidate în română și maghiară, dar este deschis pentru o vizită sumară și în restul timpului. După ce lucrările vor avansa, se vor putea ține diverse evenimente culturale sau festive la palat, ca pe vremurile bune.
Adevărul este că vremurile nu au fost deloc bune cu palatul în ultima vreme. Deja în 1849 a fost devastat de trupele țariste, intrate în Transilvania pentru a înnăbuși Revoluția maghiară. În Al Doilea Război Mondial a fost din nou devastat iar după 1949 naționalizat și transformat în spital. Dar astăzi, și Palatul Gornești, cu munca și dăruirea familiei Teleki de astăzi, va reporni pe făgașul firesc un monument așa frumos și important pentru artă și istorie.
The Teleki Palace in Gornești is often called "The Pearl of the Mureș River", because it is a wonderful Baroque palace. It is relatively well preserved, its gardens have survived Communism and it is picturesquely situated on the Mureș bank on the main road from Reghin to Târgu Mureș.
The Gornești Palace stands out not only by its size but also by its important history. The Teleki family gave many illustrious figures to Transylvania.
The domain and an older castle exist since the Middle Ages. Teleki Mihály was the first of his family to own Gornești, received from Mihail Apafi I, Prince of Transylvania. (the one who defeated John Kemény). Mihály Teleki was Chancellor of Transylvania and a supporter of the House of Habsburg. The latter was seeking to extend its influence in eastern and south-eastern Europe in the context of a weakened Ottoman Empire. He died in one of the battles between the two camps, at Zărnești in 1690. On the other side were fighting the Hungarian noblemen (Imre Thököly and his Kuruc) seeking to maintain an autonomous Transylvania with turkish aid, also with Romanians from Constantin Brâncoveanu (1788-1814). The latter considered the declining Ottoman Empire a lesser threat than the Austrians, and his calculations would be proven right decades later when Oltenia and then Bukovina were annexed, the latter with consequences to this day.
Picking up where we left the story, Mihály's grandson, László Teleki, was the one who had the Baroque palace built, around 1778. He acquired the services of a renowned architect, Andreas Mayerhoffer. He is the author, among other masterpieces, of the Bratislava Grassalkovich Palace, which you can admire on the main boulevard, next to the old town. In Gornești the palace was finished by László's and Andreas' sons, József and Johan respectively, showing that great masterpieces are the work of many years and sometimes several generations.
Driving down the main Reghin - Târgu Mureș motorway, only the road signs and the park's impressive trees warn you that the domain is near. After you enter the front gate, you cross a romantic bridge made of brick. A carriage can pass right through the main building the palace and into the rear courtyard. From there you can view the gardens, with some trees as old as the palace.
The rooms in the main building are being restored since the palace was reclaimed by a descendant of the family, Teleki Kálmán. Every July 21st are celebrated the Gornești Palace Days and guided tours are made in Romanian and Hungarian. You can visit the palace the rest of the time as well, as it is always guarded. When the first restoration works shall be completed, cultural and festive events shall be held, like in the good old days.
The truth is that some times have not been kind to the palace. Already in 1849 it was devastated by the troops of the Tsar, allied with the Austrian Empire to crush the Hungarian Revolution. in the Second World War it was pillaged again, confiscated by the Communist Regime and the turned into a hospital. Today, however, the Gornești Palace has a chance to recover, being taken care by the same family which ensured its glory through the centuries. It is a vital part of Romania's historic and artistic heritage.
The Gornești Palace stands out not only by its size but also by its important history. The Teleki family gave many illustrious figures to Transylvania.
The domain and an older castle exist since the Middle Ages. Teleki Mihály was the first of his family to own Gornești, received from Mihail Apafi I, Prince of Transylvania. (the one who defeated John Kemény). Mihály Teleki was Chancellor of Transylvania and a supporter of the House of Habsburg. The latter was seeking to extend its influence in eastern and south-eastern Europe in the context of a weakened Ottoman Empire. He died in one of the battles between the two camps, at Zărnești in 1690. On the other side were fighting the Hungarian noblemen (Imre Thököly and his Kuruc) seeking to maintain an autonomous Transylvania with turkish aid, also with Romanians from Constantin Brâncoveanu (1788-1814). The latter considered the declining Ottoman Empire a lesser threat than the Austrians, and his calculations would be proven right decades later when Oltenia and then Bukovina were annexed, the latter with consequences to this day.
Picking up where we left the story, Mihály's grandson, László Teleki, was the one who had the Baroque palace built, around 1778. He acquired the services of a renowned architect, Andreas Mayerhoffer. He is the author, among other masterpieces, of the Bratislava Grassalkovich Palace, which you can admire on the main boulevard, next to the old town. In Gornești the palace was finished by László's and Andreas' sons, József and Johan respectively, showing that great masterpieces are the work of many years and sometimes several generations.
Driving down the main Reghin - Târgu Mureș motorway, only the road signs and the park's impressive trees warn you that the domain is near. After you enter the front gate, you cross a romantic bridge made of brick. A carriage can pass right through the main building the palace and into the rear courtyard. From there you can view the gardens, with some trees as old as the palace.
The rooms in the main building are being restored since the palace was reclaimed by a descendant of the family, Teleki Kálmán. Every July 21st are celebrated the Gornești Palace Days and guided tours are made in Romanian and Hungarian. You can visit the palace the rest of the time as well, as it is always guarded. When the first restoration works shall be completed, cultural and festive events shall be held, like in the good old days.
The truth is that some times have not been kind to the palace. Already in 1849 it was devastated by the troops of the Tsar, allied with the Austrian Empire to crush the Hungarian Revolution. in the Second World War it was pillaged again, confiscated by the Communist Regime and the turned into a hospital. Today, however, the Gornești Palace has a chance to recover, being taken care by the same family which ensured its glory through the centuries. It is a vital part of Romania's historic and artistic heritage.
