The Baroque “Hrabeczy” Manor House Kendice
The municipality of Kendice in the district of Prešov was founded in the 13th century. The first written record dates back to 1249. At the end of the 13th century, Kendice became the property of the nobleman Petr of the Abov family along the master Jób and in the 14th century it was part of the Šariš Castle estate. By the end of the Middle Ages, a local nobility lived there with the addition of “from Kendice”. From the 15th to the 17th century there were Malé (Small) and Veľké (Large) Kendice. In the municipality lived the aristocratic family “Kendi”, which was at that time the most wealthy and influential family in the region. The nobility moved to Kendice from the Lower Land after the Turks started with their occupation of the southern territory of Hungary. The wealthiest families included the Jamborský, Hrabeczy, Szakmary and Petróczy families. It was the Hrabeczy family who had a manor house built in 1793 here. The manor house has been preserved to this day without major modifications. The initials of the family have been preserved to this day on the railing on the upper floor of the manor.
The manor house was built in the Baroque style as a brick and stone building with a shingled roof (originally wooden). Today, the façade s features profiled cornices and the windows with historical fillings, window ledges and window panes. The interior features mainly barrel vaults, the upper floor wooden beams. The original sandstone floor was preserved. In the most representative room of the manor house there is a tiled stove with a circular floor plan. The manor house also included farm buildings and a pond. Under the manor house there is a network of deep cellars. Next to the building is an old stone-lined well and an ice house behind it. It is a place where food-preserving ice was once stored. In 1875, the manor house became a home to the post office (which operated there until 1908) and notary office. The Hrabeczy family lived in Kendice until 1920. Even though the family sold their property, they remained living in the manor. Later on the manor house was again used as a post office in the 1930s. After the Second World War, the building changed owners and from the 70s of the 20th century it ceased to be used regularly. Regular repairs prevented the building from falling into disrepair. Today, the manor house is privately owned.