# Betnava Castle

- **Country:** Slovenia

Betnava Mansion is a historic manor house located near Maribor in northern Slovenia. First documented in 1319 as Wintenaw, the structure evolved over centuries into a fortified Renaissance manor with a moat. The property passed through the hands of several prominent noble families, including the Herberstein, Khiessl, Auersperg, and Ursini-Rosenberg families. During the Herberstein tenure, the mansion served as a Protestant way-station complete with chapel and cemetery. In 1863, it became the summer residence of the bishops of Maribor and Lavant.

The mansion underwent significant reconstruction in 1784 in the late-Baroque Florentine style, reflecting contemporary Viennese architectural fashion. Notable interior features include a carved staircase, a chapel dedicated to the Holy Cross in the west wing, and an ornate main hall decorated with late-Baroque trompe-l'œil ceiling frescoes dating to approximately 1780, created by an unknown artist. The main facade overlooks a 19th-century English country park.

Today, Betnava Mansion is owned and maintained by the Archbishopric of Maribor. In 2011, the Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage cited the archbishopric for inadequate maintenance of the site and failure to properly safeguard structures uncovered during an archaeological excavation. The mansion remains an important cultural monument representing Slovenia's architectural heritage.

![Photo of Betnava Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/DvorecBetnava1.JPG)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betnava_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)