History of the manor and its owners

Current owners of the manor house

The manor house was bought in 2016 by Mr. and Mrs. Bohdal, who with love and respect for history reconstructed this national cultural monument with the aim of making it accessible to the public. The vision of the owners is to combine historical and modern, Western and Eastern, cultural and technical thinking, tradition and lifestyle. The manor house is to be a well-known pearl among mansions in Slovakia, a place where guests can experience unforgettable cultural and artistic experiences, a year-round retreat for guests and a sought-after destination for corporate events, weddings and celebrations.

The name GOYA Vitality Hotel is not accidental. “GOYA” is an anagram of the word “YOGA”, which emphasizes the focus on health and personal development. At the same time, the word “GOYA” (phonetically) means stork in Hungarian. The stork is the main element of the coat of arms of the Bohdal family, which is called “bohdal” in the Moravian dialect. This symbol is perceived as a messenger of good luck and in the Far East also as a symbol of long life. The word “Vitality” in the name of the hotel emphasizes that the hotel is a place where a person can awaken their vitality, find an opportunity to relax and recharge their batteries.

Zichy family

The manor house in Voderady was the seat of the Voderady branch of the Zichy family. According to historical documents, the manor in Voderady was acquired by Štefan Zichy Jr. sometime at the end of the 17th century. The construction of the manor house itself is not exactly dated, but it is assumed that it was Štefan Zichy who had the manor house built. A mention of a significant reconstruction of the manor house in the Classicist period, which was initiated by Count František Zichy between 1790 and 1820, has been preserved.

The last aristocratic owners of the manor house were Július Zichy, who died in 1930 and Klára Zichy (*1883 +1971) with her husband Štefan Keglevich (*1880 +1962). The manor house became known mainly for its collections of art and historical objects from all over the world and a number of rare books. Klára and her husband left the manor house at the end of World War II, the family emigrated to Belgium, the manor house was nationalized, the equipment was stolen and damaged. Only a few pieces of furniture and paintings have been preserved, which are stored in the Trnava National Museum and in the Museum on the Red Stone.

Nicolas Keglevich

Nicolas Keglevich, grandson of Klára Zichy. After the revolution and the change of regime in 1989, he was in Voderady several times. In 2022, he found out that the manor house was no longer falling into disrepair, but was undergoing a comprehensive reconstruction. He contacted the current owners, they remained in written contact, and in June 2024 he came to visit with his two daughters and wife. They slept in the manor house and he continued his journey to Croatia.

School of Agriculture

It is impossible not to mention the post-war period, when the process of nationalization and expropriation of former nobles did not miss the manor house in Voderady. An agricultural school was established in the manor house, and in 2007 the school’s activities were terminated. The manor house was in danger of total disintegration, for the next eight years it was unused, doomed to extinction. However, fate shuffled the cards and did not allow this to happen. Ing. Pavel Bohdal got to the manor house and carried out a radical reconstruction.

There was no one from the former school management who wanted to say anything about that era. However, period photographs reveal some facts: slogans about building socialism on the façade of the manor, the XV Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, the emblem of the Red Star with a hammer and sickle that covered the Zichy coats of arms on the façade, the family chapel transformed into a gymnasium. However, former students stop by the manor house from time to time. With shining eyes, they remember the times when they graduated from high school in the manor, celebrated their graduation, and some even had a wedding there. For nothing, childhood and youth is a period that is remembered with pleasure regardless of the social system.