Ilguva manor

Manor of Ilguva

Cultural and artistic life was always booming in the manor located on the bank of the Neman. A rich library of thousands of volumes of musical, fiction, historical and agricultural literature was accumulated, paintings of the Grincevičiai family and landscapes were hanging on the walls, and a famous artist Beatričė Grincevičiūtė used to spend summers visiting her aunt there.

This is a place of unique beauty at the confluence of Nyka and Nemunas. In 1758 estate was bought by Veliuona pastor Viktoras Grincevičius - Ilgauskas. His family owned the estate until the end of nineteenth century when Ona Grincevičiūtė married famous Polish composer and violinist, director of the Warsaw Philharmonic Emilis Mlynarskis (1870-1935). Ilguva then became a favorite gathering place for musicians.
Wooden palace was built in the end of eighteenth century by Jonas Grincevičius. The building faces the river Nemunas, standing on an 80 meters high cliff. Stone columns holds triangular pediment attributable to folk Classicism
Famous singer Beatričė Grincevičiūtė spend her childhood there as well. Here often came the St. Petersburg Theological Academy professor priest Justinas Pranaitis, painters Ferdinandas Ruščicas and Elvyro Andriolli, prominent violinist Polis Kochanskis, composer Karolis Szymanowskis, pianist and songwriter, who later became Prime Minister of Poland, Ignacy Paderewski. In the interwar period to the Ilguva came the world-renowned pianist Arturas Rubinšteinas, a professor and writer Albinas Herbačiauskas, painter Kazys Šimelionis, also a frequent guest here was a writer and priest Antanas Tatarė, historian Professor John Totoraitis, composer Stasys Šimkus.

Buildings. There survived 11 manor buildings: palace, servants' quarters, house, two farm laborers, barn, outbuildings, stables, tavern, wine cellar, fruit storage.
Information about Ilguva church building complex, see on rubric "Churches."