Palace in Mordy

A crumbling classicist palace in Mordy, on the borderland of Podlasie and Mazovia, testifies to the history of one of the wealthier families of the Siedlce region. The residence was raised in 1717 on the groundworks of a fortified manor from the early 17th century by the Ciecierski family, and in the 19th century it was enlarged by the Zembrzuski family, acquiring Classical and Neo-Renaissance features.

Architecture

The building has two storeys with three-storeyed wings. From the front steps a risalit crowned by a pediment bearing a cartouche with the Doliwa coat of arms of the Zembrzuski family; in front of it a four-column portico supports a balcony with a cast-iron balustrade. The garden elevation is more modest than the front, and the wrought-iron balconies catch the eye — the finest, on the southern elevation, echoes the Neo-Gothic.

The gate tower

Entry to the palace courtyard leads through a Baroque gate in the form of a tower with an arched passage, preserved with its characteristic wooden superstructure, unique in the region. It is the best-surviving element of the whole complex.

Park and today

Around it stretches a park from the 18th century covering 6 hectares with a pond; alongside limes, ashes, maples, elms and hornbeams grow rarer species: the yellow buckeye, Canadian hemlock and American tulip tree. Before the Second World War the residence belonged to the Przewłocki family; after the war it was nationalised and gradually fell into decay. The palace is closed to visitors and can only be viewed from the outside.