Maria Madocani was born on the 2nd of March in 1818 in Hradna. She was from aristocratic family named Akai. She got married to Pavol Madocani on the 8th of December in 1835. He came from Liptov from Madocani and he belonged to nationalized nobility. He actively participated in the Hungarian Revolution in 1848. He organized fights against Slovak volunteer expeditions. Maria Madocani became the object of interest of the media in this revolutionary time. The newspaper described her courageous behavior when she did not leave the manor during the arrival of the Hurban army in Madocani. Instead, she talked to the commander of the army and provided food for the soldiers. Her brave gesture prevented the spoliation of the manor. Pavol was sentenced to death after the defeat of the Hungarian Revolution. Afterwards, it was commuted to 10 years in prison but eventually he obtained an amnesty after 6 years. He returned to politics later. The couple went through a great tragedy in their personal life. Their only child, daughter Gizela, died at the age of 5 because of scarlet fever. They left Madocani and went to live to Velky Kolacin. They lived on the property of Maria’s mother Anna Prileska, where they devoted themselves to farming. For instance, they were selling milk products to the spa in Trencianske Teplice. They often traveled together because of Pavol’s responsibilities. They used the transportation by felt at the time of the favorable water level in the Vah. Maria lived in the manor in Hradna after the death of her husband in 1875. The beauty of the manor house, but also the Sulov Rocks attracted many important guests to Hradna, for example the writer Moric Jokai. He was accommodated in the rotunda on the right side, where he wrote his literary works. The story Abducted Treasure was set in the local surroundings. He mentioned the widow of the manor in Hradna and Lietava Castle in the short story. Moric Jokai also described the astonishing unusualness of the Sulov Rocks in his travelogue Povazie. Maria Madocani, born Akai, died on the 2nd of August in 1894 in Hradna. She was buried in the crypt behind the manor on Oprsalovec Hill. It was her wish to be buried there. There were four spruces around the crypt. They were standing there like silent guards. The reasons why she was not buried next to her husband in Madocani are unknown. Perhaps, simply because she loved her birthplace - Hradna. The remains of Maria Madocani were transferred to the local cemetery in Hradna in 1941 due to the poor condition of the crypt. Nowadays, the only preserved spruce resembles the place where the crypt was located. In 2018, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Maria Madocani, a new wooden cross with an identification plate was placed on her unmarked grave in the cemetery.

zdroj: Vlastný výskum autorky textu M. Kerešovej