# Bucelleni-Ruard Manor

- **Country:** Slovenia

The Bucellini–Ruard Manor, commonly known as Ruard Manor, is a historic residence located at 45 France Prešeren Street in the Stara Sava neighborhood of Jesenice, northwestern Slovenia. Originally constructed in 1538 by Bernardo Bucellini, an Italian businessman from Bergamo, the building stands as one of four distinctive "ironworks castles" erected during the 16th and early 17th centuries. Unlike similar structures in the region, Bucellini strategically positioned this manor directly adjacent to the iron mining and processing facilities his family operated. The estate reflects the immense success of the Bucellini dynasty, which dominated the local industry and was eventually ennobled as the von Reichenberg family, rising to countly status in 1686.

The manor's architectural identity evolved significantly over the centuries, particularly after Belgian entrepreneur Valentin Ruard purchased the failing estate in 1766. Under the Ruard family, who managed the property for several generations, the structure underwent a major expansion and reconstruction in 1831, adopting the elegant Neoclassical style visible today. Following financial difficulties in the late 19th century, the property was sold to the KID company in 1871 and repurposed as housing for clerks, mirroring the fate of nearby worker barracks. This transition marked the end of its era as a private aristocratic home and the beginning of its integration into the industrial community fabric.

Since 1954, the manor has been preserved as a cultural landmark, serving as the seat of the Upper Sava Museum Jesenice. It currently houses permanent exhibits dedicated to the region's rich industrial heritage, including artifacts from the iron and steel industry, alongside paleontological collections featuring Palaeozoic flora and fauna from the Karawanks mountains. The building also displays a notable mineral collection, ensuring its continued role as an educational hub. Today, the manor remains in excellent condition, standing as a testament to the area's transformative history from a center of heavy industry to a preserver of cultural memory.

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