Imre Madách Mansion, Dolná Strehová

Imre Madách Mansion, Dolná Strehová is dedicated to the life and work of Hungarian dramatist Imre Madách, whose family settled in Dolná Strehová in around 1430 - two early members of the family, Gašpar Madách senior and Gašpar Madách junior, were active in the area of literature and poetry during the 17th century. The original house burned down in 1717 and was subsequently restored, but in 1758 it once more fell victim to flames. The family seat was restored in 1777 by A Madách, grandfather of Imre Madách, who built a mansion in Rococo-Classical style as a three-winged building with a middle bay. The diagionally-situated prismatic towers point to older influences. An extensive park lies around the mansion, where since 1936 the bodily remains of Imre Madách have been laid. The tomb, inspired by Imre Madách’s seminal work The Tragedy of Man, was created by L Rigele. A literary museum was established at the mansion in 1964. Besides the life and work of Imre Madách, several other significant literary personalities from the Hont region are also presented here.