Why gold is running on the walls and frogs are sitting at pools here?
The Amade Château is an island of peace and comfort in the middle of the Rye Island. The interior layout of our spa is intended to point out to our visitors that they are on the largest and the most marvellous fluvial island, once referred to as "Golden Garden" by our ancestors. It is no coincidence that the pool`s ceiling is painted gold and that the sand-coloured walls gilding also the walls reflect its golden light – several decades ago local people panned for gold in the Danube sediments. With this in mind, the entrance hall was decorated with motifs from folk embroidery using gold paint, mixed with sand. Mixing traditional and modern, this lovely work showcases the creative abilities of the local folk and will beyond doupt stand the test of time.
Opposite the entrance there is the motto of the Amade family – Amore et Candore, i.e. with love and candour. The Amade family was a noble family of good repute and deeds, whose family nest was a small fortified castle in Vrakúň. Its atmosphere is recalled in the upholstered chairs in the entrance hall. The glass doors were engraved with the verses of baron László Amade from Vrakúň who, as we remember from school, was the first real songwriter. His song “A jó lovas katonának” (Shimmering Soldiers) is sung up to the present day. He wrote easily in Latin and German and he also composed Slovak verse, as seen on the door panel leading to the dressing room.
The gold hued wallpaper in the reception hall is also “commemorative” – it portrays a mansion park with a fountain, and so too, the decor in the dressing room reminds us of the rich watery world of Rye Island. The furnishings are a celebration of the skill of local joiners who made the benches and tables from the original roof beams of the mansion. A swarm of croaking frogs on the first floor is not just a randomly chosen decoration. They were taken from the coat-of-arms of the municipality of Vrakúň and were designed by the local ceramist who also created all other ceramic objects in the hotel. The dragonfly is a motif of similar importance, while its numbers settle not only on walls and marble floorings of the mansion but also in the park.
The human eye is drawn to natural shapes such as a ball, or ancient symbol of the sun or waves that represent water. That is why these shapes and forms are repeated on the ceilings and walls of the spa as well as the inside and outside premises of the mansion.
Dear guests, I hope you enjoy the facilities of the Amade Spa as much as I enjoyed dreaming up all the lovely and soothing elements that you find within.
Let it enhance your well-being!
by decorator Éva Nagyvendégi
