The Rendez-vous aux jardins event was held for the second time in Croatia on Friday, 7 June 2019, at Opeka Arboretum in Marčan and Opatovina Park in Topusko, with the theme “Animals in Garden.”
The Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Conservation Departments in Varaždin and Sisak, organized events for children, youth, and the general public. Around 120 visitors, including children from Topusko's kindergarten and elementary school, gathered in Topusko, while interested citizens, children from Marčan's kindergarten “Happiness”, and students and teachers from Marčan's Arboretum Opeka High School gathered in Arboretum Opeka.
- The Topusko thermal spa parks – Opatovina Park’s natural and cultural heritage
Topusko is located in central Croatia, in the Sisak-Moslavina County. The settlement was built on thermal springs, with life continuing from the Bronze Age to the present. Topusko's heritage is a unique blend of natural (thermal water and peloid) and very rich cultural heritage. Topusko's parks are particularly valuable. Opatovina Park stands out for its park architecture as well as the remains of a medieval Cistercian abbey. The monastic church of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a three-nave gothic structure. Only a portion of the monumental Gothic portal from the 13th century has survived to this day, serving as Topusko's symbol. During the French rule, the monastery ruins were cleared and the land was prepared for the park. Park Opatovina, with its complex of ruins from the Cistercian abbey, has great cultural, historical, and archaeological value as a garden heritage site.
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"The Topusko thermal spa parks – Opatovina Park’s natural and cultural heritage" program included activities related to the presentation of natural and cultural heritage. The Opatovina Park introduced preschool and school-age children, as well as the general public, to Opatovina's cultural heritage, and to ongoing and planned work on the ruins of the Cistercian abbey. The Sisak-Moslavina County Public Institution for Nature Protection held a field workshop in the Park on the biological diversity of fauna and flora, the importance of preserving natural landscapes, and dealing with wild animals. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about the animal species that live in Opatovina Park’s 400-year-old pedunculate oak (Quercus robur). This magnificent tree will serve as the foundation for our story about gardens and animals. The goal is to increase citizens' awareness of their surroundings, the relationship between people and nature, and the beauty of the parks themselves. |
- The Opeka Arboretum in Marčan – flora and fauna
The Opeka Arboretum, or park-garden next to the manor, is an example of park architecture with high aesthetic and dendrological value that has landscape and romantic park characteristics. Its design began in the mid-nineteenth century for the castle's then-new owner, Count Marko Bombelles, who brought numerous plant species from all over the world. The park has been preserved to this day, with some original stone benches remaining as a valuable sculptural decoration to the park. It was designated as a protected natural rarity by the National Office for the Protection of Natural Sites in 1947, and it became public property. When the Republic Office for Nature Protection was established in 1961, it was designated as a garden heritage site (an arboretum).
The Opeka Manor is located in Marčan, 18 kilometres west of Varaždin. It was originally built as a Baroque three-wing mansion, but it later underwent numerous alterations, particularly during the period of historicism in the second half of the nineteenth century. According to the inscription at the its entrance, the manor was originally built in the seventeenth century, with Counts Keglević as the first owners. In the eighteenth century, the manor belonged to the Drašković noble family, and from the mid-nineteenth century to the end of World War II, to the Bombelles family, who are credited with the definitive design of both the manor and the Arboretum.
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“The Opeka Arboretum in Marčan – Flora and Fauna” programme included a series of activities for interested citizens, preschool children, and students and teachers from Marčan's Opeka Arboretum High School. Following a brief introduction to the “Rendez-vous in the Gardens" event and this year's theme – Animals in Gardens – the head of Varaždin's Conservation Department, Dr. Vesna Pascuttini-Juraga, spoke about the history and significance of the Opeka Arboretum and Manor. Ms. Trinski, Dr. Vet., Principal of Opeka Arboretum High School, led those interested in a tour of the Arboretum, while high school students presented posters they made in biology class, a PowerPoint presentation about animals in the Opeka Arboretum, and insect hotels they make as part of their cooperative. At the Traditional House, children from Marčan's kindergarten “Happiness” drew animals they saw at the Opeka Arboretum. Children and young people who took part in this event learned the value of preserving the natural and cultural heritage that surrounds them. |
The French Ministry of Culture has traditionally organized the event in June, when various private and public gardens, parks, and promenades throughout France are open to the public, and since 2018, as part of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, gardens and parks across Europe.
