Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From here, you can go through the wrought-iron gates and down some steps to the
terrace
of the palace, commanding a sweeping
view
of Pest and fine head-on views of Margit-
Sziget. Beyond the souvenir stalls prances an equestrian
statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy
,
who captured Buda from the Ottomans in 1686. The smaller bronze statues nearby represent
Csongor and Tünde
, the lovers in the play of the same name, by Vörösmarty.
A HISTORY OF THE ROYAL PALACE
As befits a former royal residence, the lineage of the
Royal Palace
(Királyi palota) can
be traced back to medieval times, the rise and fall of various palaces on the hill reflecting
the changing fortunes of the Hungarian state. The first fortifications and dwellings, hastily
erected by Béla IV after the Mongol invasion of 1241-42, were replaced by the grander
palaces of the Angevin kings, who ruled in more prosperous and stable times. This process
of rebuilding reached its zenith in the reign of Mátyás Corvinus (1458-90), whose palace
was a Renaissance extravaganza to which artists and scholars from all over Europe were
drawn by the blandishments of Queen Beatrice and the prospect of lavish hospitality. The
rooms had hot and cold running water, and during celebrations the fountains and gargoyles
flowed with wine. After the Turkish occupation and the long siege that ended it, only ruins
were left - which the Habsburgs, Hungary's new rulers, levelled to build a palace of their
own.
From modest beginnings under Empress Maria Theresa (when there were a mere 203
rooms, which she never saw completed), the palace expanded inexorably throughout the
nineteenth century, though no monarch ever dwelt here, only the Habsburg palatine (vice-
roy). After the collapse of the empire following World War I, Admiral Horthy inhabited
the building with all the pomp of monarchy until he was deposed by a German coup in
October 1944. The palace was left unoccupied, and it wasn't long before the siege of Buda
once again resulted in total devastation. Reconstruction work began in the 1950s - you can
see the contrast between the fancier prewar stonework in the Lion Courtyard and the tacky
postwar version on the side overlooking the river. The interior also lacks the elegance of
the prewar version, being designed to accommodate cultural institutions. However, one be-
nefit of the reconstruction was that it revealed the medieval substrata beneath the rubble,
which were incorporated into the new building.
The Hungarian National Gallery
Magyar Nemzeti Galéria • Royal Palace wings A, B, C and D •
NationalGallery
Tues-Sun 10am-6pm, MNG
Extra: 6-10pm first Fri of month • 1400Ft for permanent display (audio-guide 800Ft), 2400Ft for temporary
shows, 2000Ft for MNG Extra • 1 201 9082,
mng.hu
•
Habsburg crypt
Advance notice required - ask at
the desk or ring 06 20 439 7408 • 600Ft
