Gloriet na Jánské výši ve Všenorech Gazebo

Welcome here, to the Jansen level in Všenory. Stop for a moment, take a breath, and let your gaze slowly move on to the building that stands right in front of you. You are standing in front of a small but very elegant summer castle known to local and visitors under the name Gloriet. It is a place where human desire for beauty and order is combined with the natural grandeur of the surrounding countryside. The first impression this building is likely to give you is a sense of ease and openness. It's a space that doesn't make you come in to separate you from the world, but it encourages you to look away from it.

Let us now look together at how this building was created and who was its creator. Let's move back more than a hundred and thirty years in time, to 1885. At the time, it belonged to Mr. Jan Nolč. He was the man who decided that this high rise, the Yansk High, deserved his dominance. Jan Nolč didn't just want to build an ordinary shelter, but he wanted something that looked like an aesthetic jewel in the landscape. In the nineteenth century, it was very popular to go back to patterns from ancient history, and therefore this castle was brought out in ancient style. The aim was to create a place of rest and prospects that would complement the vast vineyards that had spread out in the valley of the Berounka River at that time. Imagine how the owner of the estate sat here in the late summer afternoon, watching his vineyards and seeing the calm of the natural landscape.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself, which is right in front of you. If you look at the floor plan of the building, you'll notice it's perfectly circular. This shape symbolizes unity and infinity, which is very typical of buildings inspired by the ancient period. Now look at the columns. The entire castle is carried by eight smooth columns. Note that these columns have no grooves or decorative grooves, they are absolutely smooth, which gives the construction a clean and strict look. If you look up, you'll see the top of the columns, the so-called warheads. These are Doric warheads, which is the simplest and oldest order of ancient columns. They are stealth, but it is in this simplicity that their strength and elegance lie. These eight columns together carry a half roof that closes the whole building and gives it the form of a noble gazebo. It's fascinating that the building has no inner walls. It's an open space that serves as a frame for the image of the surrounding nature.

When you stand under the roof of the castle, feel the atmosphere of this place. It's a place connected to the Nolch family. Jan Nolč and his wife Františka Nolčová probably spent their free time here. But life is not only about rest and beauty, it's about remembering those who have already left. If you turn now and look across from this year's castle, you will see another significant structure. In 1889, only four years after the construction of the Gloriet, the cemetery chapel of the Nolče family was built here. It's done in a New Romanesque style. It's very symbolic that these two buildings are facing each other. On the one hand, we have a castle, which represents the joy of life, relaxation and admiration for nature, and on the other side of the chapel, which reminds of the finality of human existence and respect for the ancestors. This axis between a place of joy and a place of sadness forms a deep emotional dimension of the entire complex at Janska level.

You may now be wondering if this place has undergone any changes in recent years. The history of this place is not only about beauty, but also about fighting to preserve it. A few years ago, a very disturbing thought emerged. In this beautiful neighborhood, near the historic castle, a landfill was considered. Imagine the contrast to how there could be a pile of trash near these ancient columns and the family chapel. Fortunately, however, this intention has been averted. As a result, a general modification of the Gloria area could be carried out in 2024. What you see around you today is the result of trying to get this castle back to its original role as an aesthetic dominant landscape. It's proof that people still value the 19th century garden architecture and want to protect it for future generations.

Now try to imagine what this landscape looked like over a century ago. Where you see trees and meadows today, there were a series of wine games. The scent of ripe grape wine mixed with fresh air rising from Berounka Valley. Gloriet was not just a construction, it was a scenic point from which the owner of the estate could control his land and enjoy the very act of observation. It's fascinating how one small building can define the whole character of the hill and turn a common view into a place with history and soul.

Now I encourage you to enter the space under the dome, lean on one of the Dorian columns and simply remain silent. Listen to the wind in the trees and look towards the valley. Feel how the history of the Nolče family combines with the architectural taste of past times and with today's peace of nature. This small gazebo is like a time capsule that brings us back to a time when things were made in the landscape with regard to beauty and harmony.

I hope you enjoyed this short trip to the history of Všenor and Jansky above. Gloriet may be small, but he has a great story about ambition, love of art and courage to protect what is valuable. Now you can continue to explore the surroundings, visit the mentioned family chapel or just walk the surrounding roads and look for more clues of the past in this beautiful landscape. Thank you for your attention and I wish you a pleasant rest of the day spent in the arms of nature and history. Goodbye.