History of the chateau and its owners

Current owners of the chateau

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 According to historical documents, the chateau in Voderady was acquired by Štefan Zichy Jr.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

The last aristocratic owners of the chateau were Július Zichy, who died in 1930 and Klára Zichy (*1883 +1971) with her husband Štefan Keglevich (*1880 +1962). The chateau 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 chateau at the end of World War II, the family emigrated to Belgium, the chateau 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 chateau 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 chateau 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 chateau in Voderady. An agricultural school was established in the chateau, and in 2007 the school’s activities were terminated. The chateau 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 chateau 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 chateau, 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 chateau from time to time. With shining eyes, they remember the times when they graduated from high school in the chateau, 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.