GRAD Rače / Rače CASTLE

GRAD RAČE

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Nastanek gradu Rače sega v prvo polovico šestnajstega stoletja, ko ga je med letoma 1528–1533 dal zgraditi ptujski meščan, deželnoknežji uradnik v Mariboru in Konjicah, Gregor Regall. Ker je njegov grb krasila slika imenitnega žerjava, je z njim dal ime tudi gradu in pripadajočemu delu Dravskega polja – Kranichfeld – Žerjavovo polje. Grad je tekom stoletij menjal številne lastnike, kot zadnji je omenjen Vincenc Bachler ml., član rodbine Bachler, ki je posestvo in grad nazadnje prodal na dražbi. Od leta 2003 je lastnik gradu Občina Rače – Fram.

Dvorec Rače je bil po doslej znanih podatkih prvič upodobljen na Vischerjevem zemljevidu iz leta 1687.

Grajsko poslopje, s tlorisom približno 5.000 m2, se ponaša z edinstveno obliko ključa. Videz in namen stavbe se je skozi čas spreminjal tako z menjavo lastnikov kot s prodorom različnih arhitekturnih stilov.

Grad leži v samem središču kraja Rače. Grajska stavba je postavljena na ravnici sredi že zdavnaj zasutih vodnih jarkov v smeri vzhod–zahod in je značilen primer otoškega ali vodnega gradu z baročno, gotsko in renesančno arhitekturo. Vsi trakti so enonadstropni in oklepajo dve notranji dvorišči, od katerih je prednje z vseh štirih strani zaprto, drugo pa na severni strani prosto prehaja v park. Veliko grajsko dvorišče se s srednjim krilom stika z visokim, mogočnim stražnim stolpom, v katerem so bile nekoč zaporniške celice. Stolp deli krilo na dva neenaka dela.

Danes si lahko v gradu Rače ogledamo obnovljeno grajsko kapelo, posvečeno zavetniku Rač, svetemu Janezu Nepomuku, ki je bila zgrajena leta 1729. Za oltarjem se skriva vhod v podzemni tajni hodnik, ki je vodil do gradu na Vurberku in je bil namenjen izmenjavi obiskov grajskih gospodov in gospa, in to kar s kočijami.

Občina Rače – Fram je v času lastništva popolnoma obnovila zunanjo podobo gradu in delno tudi notranjost. V notranjosti glavnega dela gradu se nahajajo prostori občinske uprave, krajevni urad Rače, večnamenska Bela dvorana, ki služi kot poročni, razstavni, kulturni prostor in prostor, v katerem se odvijajo seje občinskega sveta, v pritličju pa skozi ločen vhod vstopite v mini muzej z Grilovo etnološko zbirko. Z notranjega dvorišča gradu je urejen dostop v kinodvorano, v katero vas poti vodi skozi obokan hodnik, v kletnih prostorih nekdanje menze je bil leta 2018 obnovljen promocijsko-degustacijski prostor VTC17 z vinoteko in razstavnim  prostorom, leta 2022 pa je v svoji nekdanji lepoti ponovno oživel del pritličnih prostorov, ki so z obokanimi zidovi in pridihom starega vdahnili mistično dušo novoustanovljeni Knjižnici Rače.

RAČE CASTLE

The beginning of Rače Castle dates back to the first half of the sixteenth century, when it was built between 1528 and 1533 by Gregor Regall, a citizen of Ptuj, an official of the provincial prince in Maribor and Konjice. Since his coat of arms was decorated with the image of a magnificent crane, the animal also gave the name to the castle and the nearby part of the Drava Field - Kranichfeld, meaning Crane Field. Over the centuries, the castle changed many owners, the last mentioned was Vincenc Bachler Jr., a member of the Bachler family, who finally sold the estate and the castle at auction. Since 2003, the castle has been owned by the Municipality of Rače – Fram.

According to the information known so far, the Rače manor was first depicted and published on the Visscher map in 1687.

The castle building, with a floor plan of approximately 5,000 m2, boasts a unique key shape. The appearance and purpose of the building underwent some alterations and adjustments over time due to the change of owners and the penetration of different architectural styles.The castle is located in the very centre of Rače. The building is set on a plain in the east-west direction. It once stood in the middle of water ditches that have been now filled up for a long time but it is still a typical example of an island or water castle with baroque, gothic and renaissance architecture. All tracts are one-storey high and surround two inner courtyards: the front one is closed on all four sides, while the one on the north side stretches into the park. The large castle courtyard is connected to the middle wing by a tall, mighty watchtower, where used to be prison cells. The tower divides the wing into two unequal parts.

Today, you can visit the restored castle chapel, which was built in 1729 and is dedicated to the patron saint of Rače, Saint John of Nepomuk. Behind the altar, there is an entrance to an underground secret passage that once led to the castle on Vurberk and was meant for the horse-drawn carriage rides of the lords and ladies of both castles.

During its ownership, the municipality of Rače – Fram completely renovated the exterior of the castle and partly also its interior. Inside the main part of the castle, there are premises of the municipal administration, the local office, the multi-purpose White Hall, which is used as a wedding, exhibition and cultural place and where the municipal council meetings take place. On the ground floor, a separate entrance leads to special rooms with Gril’s ethnological collections. From the inner courtyard of the castle, there is an entry to the cinema, which is accessed through an arched corridor, while in the basement of the former canteen, the VTC17 promotion-tasting room with a wine cellar and exhibition area was renovated in 2018. In 2022, a part of the ground floor was revived in its former beauty; the rooms with arched walls and a touch of the ancient became home to the newly established Rače Library.