Belvederis Manor

Belveder Manor in Panemunė Regional Park was built in the style of romanticism, ignoring symmetry, in accordance with the example of Italian villas. It also has some neo-Gothic features. A story goes that during the construction of the mansion twelve doors were installed, it equalled the number of the months in a year, the number of windows equalled the numbers of weeks in a year, and the number of steps leading to the hill equalled the number of days in a year.

In 1835, the Seredžius area, which belonged to the family of Count Tiškevičius, became the property of the Burba family. The Marshal of Noblemen of Panevėžys Kletas Kazimieras Burba decided to establish here a residence worthy of his family’s honour and wealth. In the middle of the 19th century, on the right bank of the Nemunas River, on a hill overlooking the river and its surroundings, he built a chic palace with a Belvedere-type observation tower, which reveals the beauty of the Nemunas valley. The palace is thought to have been designed by the Italian architect Pietro de Rossi.

The centre of culture

Belveder Manor flourished not only in economic but also in cultural life. Burba family was favourable to the Lithuanian national movement. From 1905 to 1914, the composer, choir organiser and conductor Stasys Šimkus (1887–1943) organised several evenings with performances and choir songs in the barn of the manor. The Burba family had a huge library and archive.

After World War I

During the First World War, Belveder Manor was devastated and plundered. In 1922, a decision was issued by Kaunas County Land Administrator to divide the Belveder Manor, which at that time belonged to Jurgis Valeskis. The manor ceased to prosper as a manor and ceased to exist as an economic unit. Belveder Centre housed educational institutions, in 1971, the manor was transferred to the Michurin horticultural farm. Belveder Manor became a private property in 2005.