At the Mansion - A Szalon, a kóstolóterem, a konyha és a lakosztályok

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At the Mansion
A Szirmay-kúria
Az oroszlános kapu, a reneszánsz tornác, A Szirmay és Hollóházi terem
A Szalon, a kóstolóterem, a konyha és a lakosztályok
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Page 4 of 4

The Salon and Cigar Room

This room is divided into a dining area and a smoking corner fitted with a leather couch. Under the glass top of the coffee table two original pieces of embroidery are displayed. The crucifix above the bookcase, carved from black walnut, was placed here on the occasion of the house-warming celebration. Hanging on the wall above the couch is a portrait of Pius IV, the 224th Pope, born Giovanni Angelo de Medici, who is credited with the punning ad lib exclamation “Summum pontificem talia vina decent!” upon receiving a gift of Tállya wine from the Bishop of Pécs, who represented Hungary at the Synod of Trent. The pun rests on the double meaning of the Latin word talia—“like this” and, alternatively, “from Tállya.” Thus, Pius’s witty compliment translates as either “It is wines like this that befit a pope,” or “The wines of Tállya befit a pope.” While the episode has been recorded in several sources, it had not become widely known until it was adopted into Hungary’s anecdotal lore from one of the works of none other than Antal Szirmay, the 18th century historian, who devoted much of his scholarly efforts to the discussion of Tokaj’s viticulture and wine-making.

The Tasting Room

This vaulted cellar hall—the largest of its kind in the area—had served as the premises where the harvested grapes were processed until a council decree banished such activities outside the village limits due to the invasion of wine flies. The center of the hall is occupied by an enormous oak table fashioned in the shape of the traditional “aszú bench,” on which botrytised grapes used to be hand-sorted from the rest. The custom-designed oak chairs echo the lion-head motif, as do the coat racks. The chandelier and the torches are decorated with a cannon-wheel motif and a color scheme borrowed from the crest of the Rákóczis. On chilly days, the Tasting Room is heated by a fireplace.

The bottle storage holds wines from the Szirmay estate as well as wines from some of the most highly reputed cellars in Tokaj, all of which are featured on the restaurant’s wine list. The 500-year-old historic cellar branch, currently exposed to a length of 70 m, harbors traditional Gönc-type casks, wooden hods for collecting grapes from the pickers, and a library of old bottled vintages, including an 1940 six puttonyos Aszú, that are also available for purchase.

The kitchen and the suites

The kitchen of the inn is located where the vaulted “smoky kitchen” of the manor used to stand. The guest suites occupying the ground-floor rear wing and the loft of the mansion are furnished with larch furniture custom-designed by Éva Erdeös.

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