Veres László: Bodrogközi Kastélymúzeum (Múzeumi Mozaik 8. Miskolc, 2007)

PACIN Bodrogköz Mansion Museum (Résumé) Aside from the Romanesque church of Karcsa the other outstandingly significant historical building of the Bodrogköz region is the late Renaissance mansion of Pacin. Gáspár Mágóchy intended to be constructed for his only heir, András, and his wife Judit Alaghy. By 1581 the mansion, surrounded by natural watercourses and sited on a sand-hill (thus hidden away amongst the local marshland and preserving the traditions of late medieval noble residences), was complete. Its construction expressed the new aspirations of the age and the latest demands in living quarters. The building was divided into a simply executed ground floor and a richly embellished first floor: the lord and his family resided on the first floor, the servants one floor down. The upstairs doors and windows had decorated Renaissance stone frames, the rooms were barrel vaulted or beam-tied, while the lavishly decorated stone fireplaces and three glazed tile stoves ensured warmth over the long winter days. Initially the twin winged building had no watchtower, nor did it have an encircling protective wall and moat. External decoration of the facade derived not only from the window frames but also from the quoins of the building which were picked out in blue and red paint. Furthermore, above the entrance the family had installed a superb piece of stonework, a plaque with the coat of arms and the inscribed date 1581, enhancing their fame far and wide. The first limited historical monument restoration work on this late Renaissance mansion was launched in the 1960s. A complete programme of renewal was carried out between 1977 and 1987. Following thorough archaeological research, the renovation turned the building into its most valuable 16th century form (except for a few non-reconstructable