Manor

Events in the manor

The 500-year-old walls of the manor provide a setting for piano music, as well as art inspired by local nature. There is an exhibition sale of watercolours by Siiri Talli and pencil drawings by Kaspar Talli in all three halls of the manor all year round. Porcelain figurines painted by Siiri Talli can be bought as souvenirs.

Every year, pianists from far and wide are attracted by our magnificent Estonia piano. We have offered concerts for various tastes within the framework of several events, and some of them have become a tradition. Every August we host young violinists who perform at the final concerts of the masterclass by Mari Tampere-Bezrodny.

History

The Kihekonna-Loona (Kadvel in German) manor house, which dates from the Middle Ages, was first mentioned in the 16th century when it belonged to von Lode family. It was first built as a feudal stronghold; parts of the wall were found inside the building, which was constructed later. The baroque main building of Loona Manor dates back to 1785 and includes stratums of former times. Loona Manor remained in the possession of the Lodes until 1808, hence the Estonian name. It was later related to the noble families of von Stackelbergs, von Bergs, von Osten-Sackenes and von Ekesparres. In 1820 the manor was acquired by the Hoyningen-Huene family, from whom the property was confiscated during 1920’s land reform. Olga von Hoyningen-Huene was the last owner of the estate before the confiscation.

Roots of Huenes in Oesel

One of my granduncles (born 1874) dicribed the landscape and park of Loona:
The aproach-road to Loona was an alley with mapletrees. The manorhouse was surrounded by tall and old maples too. In front of the house was a grass field and a half-circle-road.
The straight way to the park was flanked with lilac trees and roses. This way reached to a small hill on which a cluster of lime trees were standing in a circle. In the middle of these trees stood the stone lion. Between the hill and the pavillon is a small pool.
The garden was sourrounded with white fences: stone columns and wooden railings with the symbol of the rising sun.
In the garden there were skandinavian sorb trees, roses, lilac trees, jasmin, tulips, peonies, daffodils, lilies, plum-, cherry-, pears- and appletrees, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries and red and black currant.

When I read the old description I think it was a perfect paradise.

Peter v. Hoyningen-Huene (letter from August 2011)

Families that owned the manor

Baltic German families in chronological order Loona mõisa:
1506-1513 Ewald Röse
1513-1791 Jürgen Lode; …; Ludwig Johann von Lode
1791-1795 Otto Wilhelm von Stackelberg
1795-1800 Alexander Magnus von Berg
1800-1820 von Berg pledged the manor to Carl Magnus von der Osten-Sackenile, who pledged it to Carl Gustav von Ekesparrele
1820-1826 von der Osten-Sacken
1826-1919 Carl von Hoyningen-Huene. Võõrandamiseelne viimane omanik oli paruness Olga Hoyningen-Huene

Construction history

During the Middle Ages, there was a vassal castle at the site of today’s manor house. Remains of the walls of the castle can be seen in the cellar of the building. In the 17th century, a single-storey main building with a Mantelshornstein, a walk-in fireplace-kitchen with a chimney that covers it like a mantle, was built. In 1785, the building was rebuilt thoroughly, following the Baroque criteria. In the 19th century, the triangular pediment was added to the front façade. Auxiliary buildings were also designed in Classicist style.

After the manor was transferred from Baltic Germans to the government of Estonia in 1919, the main building has seen a wide range of uses: primary school for a brief while, then community centre, library, collective farm office, and residential premises. The Institute of Cybernetics of the Academy of Sciences started a more thorough renovation of the building in the mid-1980s. The works were completed by the Estonian Environmental Board in 1997, when the manor became the visitor centre of the Vilsandi National Park.