Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Street-by-Street: The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace has experienced many incarnations

over the centuries. Even now it is not known exactly
where, in the 13th century, King Béla IV began
building his castle, though it is thought to be near
the site of Mátyás Church (see pp342–3). The Holy
Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg built a
Gothic palace on the present site, from which today’s
castle began to evolve. After the Ottoman occupation,
the Habsburgs built a monumental palace here in the
18th century. The current form dates from the
rebuilding of the 19th-century palace after
its destruction in February 1945. During the
renovation, the remains of the 15th-cen tury
Gothic palace were exposed and archaeo-
logists decided to showcase the defensive
walls and royal chambers in the reconstruction.

338 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

1881 Architect

Miklós Ybl begins

a programme to

rebuild and expand

the palace

Turul

1849 The Royal bird

Palace is destroyed

again, during an

unsuc cessful attack

by Hungarian

insurgents

TIMELINE

Ornamental Gateway

Dating from 1903, this

gateway leads to the

Habsburg Steps and

the Royal Palace.

Nearby, a bronze

sculpture of the

mythical turul bird

guards the palace.

. Mátyás Fountain
In the northern courtyard of the Royal
Palace stands the Mátyás Fountain. It
was designed by Alajos Stróbl in 1904
and depicts King Mátyás Corvinus and
his beloved Ilonka 3

Lion Gate

This gate, leading to the

rear courtyard of the

palace, gets its name

from the four lions

that watch over it.

These sculp tures were

designed by János

Fadrusz in 1901.

1200 1400 1600 1800

1719 The building of

a small palace begins

on the ruins of the

old palace, to a design

by Hölbling and

Fortunato de Prati

1541 After

capturing Buda,

the Ottomans use

the Royal Palace to

stable horses and

store gunpowder

c. 1400

Sigismund of

Luxembourg

builds an ambit-

ious Gothic

pal ace on this site

1255 First written

document, a letter

by King Béla IV,

refers to building

a fortified castle

1749 Maria Theresa builds a vast

palace comprising 203 chambers

1686 The assault by

Habsburg soldiers leaves

the palace completely

razed to the ground

1458 A Renaissance palace

evolves under King Mátyás

c. 1356 Louis I

builds a royal castle

on the southern

slopes of Castle Hill

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Sándor Palace

For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp390–93 and pp394–7