KAŠTIEĽ A LORETÁNSKA KAPLNKA V LÚKE – VÝSLEDKY AKTUÁLNEHO HISTORICKÉHO A ARCHITEKTONICKO-HISTORICKÉHO VÝSKUMU

Village Lúka belonged to the dominion of Tematín castle in the past. After the extinction of the Thurzo family this dominion was divided among the several co-owners, what instigated building of manor houses. The captain and administrator of anti-Ottomans defence fortress in Šaľa - Gašpar st. Sándor (†1672) – let to build his own residence in Lúka approximately in the period 1639-1654. The manor house belonged to the smaller type of partially fortificated manor houses with closed squared ground plan and four towers on the corners. Gašpar´s wife Katarína Szluhová let to build the private Loretto Chapel in 1674, one of the oldest in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary. Štefan Sándor (*1750 †1815), who let to add two-floor annexe with three flight of stairs in front of the northeastern frontage is responsible for its current visual appearance in Baroque style. He allowed to increase the height of perimeter walls and let to install picturesque truss construction. Štefan paid his attention intesively to Hungarian literature studying and exploration of German authors. The result of his research and scientific activities is the first Hungarian bibliography called Magyar Könyvesház.