Novi dvori, Ul. bana Josipa Jelačića 164, 10290, Zaprešić
30 minutes by car
Many counts and noblemen have been the owners of Novi Dvori throughout history, but you are probably interested in those from the Jelačić family. One of the members of the family, the Croatian ban Josip Jelačić, bought the estate from Count Erdödy in 1851 for a price of 175,000 silver forints. During his stay at Novi Dvori, he poured his heart and soul into the estate, and later gifted Dvori generously to the people of Croatia.
In 1855, Jelačić had the neo-Gothic Chapel of St. Joseph built on a meadow next to the Manor. Unfortunately, the Manor soon became a tomb when his nine-month-old daughter Ana suddenly passed. Ban Jelačić himself, along with his brother Antun, was later buried in the same tomb. After the war, in 1945, the Chapel was defiled. Shortly after, the tomb was defiled as well. The Chapel was renovated in February 1991.
The preserved and partially renovated components of the estate also contribute to the value of Novi Dvori. The circular threshing facility, built in the 17th century, is the oldest and the only object of that kind in Croatia, and is a World Heritage Site. A former fruit and grain storage, built as a three-story granary, was transformed into a gallery in 1987, and today we know it as the Matija Skurjeni Museum. The Museum hosts the permanent exhibition of works of naïve artist Skurjeni and a historical photography exhibition “Novi Dvori of the Jelačić family.”