Dwór Wettinów w Naroczycach na Dolnym Śląsku
The Wettin Manor in Naroczyce (Lower Silesia)

Summary/Abstract: The manor in Naroczyce (Närschütz) near Ścinawa in Lower Silesia was erected in 1688. The estate in question was the property of the Wettin Saxon Electors (1680–1708). The German historian J. Weber maintains that the local manor house was built by August the Strong (1670–1733, King of Poland from 1697), although this claim is contradicted by facts, as proven by the author of the article. The manor contains elements of the Late Renaissance and the Baroque. The architecture and details, of rather common forms, make it impossible to associate this anonymous work with a concrete architect or a narrower artistic milieu. The object possesses several valuable elements: polychromy beam ceilings on the storey and lavishly decorated stucco ceilings in two chamber on the ground floor. The largest, south-western hall has an interesting iconographic programme of the stucco decoration, consisting of five personifications of the senses, two landscape scenes, and two monograms — the intertwined letters A, topped with a crown, which could refer to August and his beloved mistress, Aurora von Königsmarck. After the birth of an illegitimate successor by August’s wife, Christine Eberhard von Bayreuth, Aurora lost her rank, but remained a close friend of the later monarch. Quite possibly, for a certain time, Naroczyce served as her residence; hence the personification of the five senses and the two letters A, additionally creating the letter M, which could recall their son, Maurice of Saxony.

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