Interiors of Buda Castle

Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue


State Party = HUN
Type = Cultural
Criteria = ii, iv
ID = 400
Region = Europe and North America
Year = 1987
Session = 11th
Extension = 2002
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/400The interiors of Buda Castle, the former palace of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, Hungary, were all destroyed during World War II and the post-war reconstruction (except the Palatinal Crypt). There is very little data about the interiors from the medieval and Baroque era. However, the turn-of-the-century palace was meticulously recorded with detailed descriptions, photographic documentation and grounds plans. Architect Alajos Hauszmann himself said about the royal apartments, "I created a 200 m long series of rooms, longer than any similar royal apartments in continental Europe except Versailles."

Old ceremonial rooms

* Ballroom ("Nagyterem") - The ballroom on the first floor of the Baroque wing had several layers of Baroque decoration from the second half of the 18th and the 19th century. There are only two surviving drawings that record the oldest form of the room. Jakob Scmutzer's drawing from 1777 shows the opening ceremony of the university. It seems that the room had a Late Baroque decoration with double grooved Corinthian pilasters between the windows and stucco garlands. The walls were decorated with Vinzenz Fischer's frescoes of the four faculties. József Pollencig's drawing from 1795 shows a ball scene in the "Prunksaal". The pilasters were kept but the frescoes were already covered, and the whole room was stuccoed. On the vault the coat-of-arms of the Kingdom of Hungary can be seen. After the 1849 siege the room was redecorated in Neo-Baroque style. In 1892 it was rebuilt with a new ceiling and a gallery towards the Lions Court but three side walls were preserved. It was enlarged again after 1896. In Hauszmann's time the room had a Rococo white-golden stucco decoration with three huge chandeliers. During the post-war reconstruction Vinzenz Fischer's frescoes were re-discovered in 1953. In spite of this all the decoration layers were destroyed. Today it houses the Gothic altar collection of the Hungarian National Gallery.

* White Antechamber ("Fehér előterem") - The White Antechamber on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated south of the throne room. In the Baroque era it was called "Zweyten Antichambre" ("second antechamber"). In Hauszmann's time it had a Rococo white-golden stucco decoration with one huge chandelier and a white Rococo stove.

* "Coronation" Antechamber ("Koronázás" előterem") - The "Coronation" Antechamber on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated next to the white antechamber. It opened from the main staircase of the southern wing and was the first room of the ceremonial apartments on this side. In Hauszmann's time it had a white-golden stucco decoration with one huge chandelier. Its name referred to the huge painting of Franz Joseph I's coronation as King of Hungary in after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.

* Audience Antechamber ("Fogadási váróterem") - The Audience Antechamber on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated north of the throne room. In the Baroque era it was called "Antichambre Ihrer Majestat der Kaiserin" ("Her Majesty the Empress' Antechamber"). During that time, the room gave access to Maria Theresa's private apartments from the throne room. In the Hauszmann, era the audience antechamber became part of the ceremonial apartments and had the same white-golden Rococo stucco decoration as the white antechamber on the other side.

* "Zenta" Antechamber ("Zenta" előterem") - The "Zenta" Antechamber on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated next to the audience antechamber. It opened from the main staircase of the central wing and was the first room of the ceremonial apartments on this side. In Hauszmann's time it had a white-golden stucco decoration with one huge chandelier. Its name referred to the huge painting of the Battle of Zenta.

Old royal apartments

* Small Throne Room ("Kis trónterem") - The Small Throne Room on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated next to the audience antechamber. In the Baroque era it was called "Audienz-Zimmer" and was part of the Empress' private apartments. In Hauszmann's time it was concerted to the throne room of the palace with a simple Baroque throne under a baldachin. It had a white-golden stucco decoration with one chandelier and a Rococo tile stove.

* "Circle" Tearoom ("Circle" teaszalon") - The "Circle" Tearoom on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated next to the small throne room, in the corner of the southern wing with 2–3 windows opening on to the Danube. In the Baroque era it was called "Gesellschaft Zimmer Ihrer Majestat der Kaiserin" ("Her Majesty the Empress' Parlour") and was part of Maria Theresa's private apartments. In Hauszmann's time it had a white-golden stucco decoration with one chandelier and a Rococo tile stove. The furniture consisted a Rococo parlour suite.

* Antechamber – This antechamber on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated next to the "circle" tearoom with two windows opening on to the Danube. In the Baroque era it was called "Ankleide-Zimmer Ihrer Majestat der Kaiserin" ("Her Majesty the Empress' Dressing Room") and was part of Maria Theresa's private apartments. During that time it was connected to another small room, the "Frauen Kammer". In Hauszmann's time the walls were largely clad with wallpaper. The furniture consisted a Rococo tile stove, chairs and paintings. The last small room of the Empress, the former "Schreib cabinet" ("writing room") with one window opening on to the Danube, later became a simple passageway.

* Smoking Room ("Dohányzó szalon") – The smoking room on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated in the middle of the Danube side of the old palace with two windows opening on to the Danube. In the Baroque era it was called "Schlafzimmer Ihrer k.k. Majestaten" ("The Imperial Couple’s Bedroom"). It was the only common room of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I. In Hauszmann's time the walls were largely clad with wallpaper. The furniture consisted a Rococo parlour suite and paintings. In the old imperial apartments only the ceilings had the typical white-golden stucco decoration, used all over in the old ceremonial apartments.

* Writing Room ("Írószoba") – The small writing room on the first floor of the Baroque wing was formerly part of the private apartments of Francis I. One window opened to the Danube. In the Baroque era it was called "Ankleidecabinet S.M. des Kaisers" ("Emperor’s Dressing Room"). It was connected to another small room, the second dressing room. Later the imperial dressing room was divided with a wall, one half converted into a simple passageway, the other into a small writing room. In Hauszmann's time the latter's walls were largely clad with a very ornate Rococo wallpaper. It had a white marble mantelpiece with a large Rococo mirror above.

* Parlour ("Társalkodó terem") – The parlour on the first floor of the Baroque wing was formerly part of the private apartments of Francis I. It was situated in the corner of the southern wing with 2+3 windows opening to the Danube. In the Baroque era the room was divided with a wall, one half called "Empfangs Zimmer S.M. des Kaisers" ("Imperial Audience Room"), the other "Arbeits Cabinet" ("Study"). In Hauszmann's time it was converted to a great parlour with wallpaper clad walls, a Rococo tile stove, a chandelier, paintings, chairs and a mirror.

* Antechamber – This antechamber on the first floor of the Baroque wing was the last room of the former private apartments of Francis I. Two windows opened to the Danube. In the Baroque era it was called "Zweyten Audienz Zimmer" ("second audience room"). In Hauszmann's time the walls were mainly clad with wallpaper, and it had a Rococo tile stove, a chandelier, paintings and chairs.

outhern wing

* Baroque Court ("Barokk udvar") - The rectangular court is the oldest part of the Baroque palace. The original 18-19th century façades survived. In 1997 the court was covered with a glass roof and became the main exhibition hall of the Budapest History Museum.

* King's Staircase ("Király-lépcső") - The Baroque main staircase of the southern wing gave access to the private apartments of Emperor Francis I. Both King's Staircase and its northern pair, the Diplomat's Staircase had ornate gates opening onto Lions Court, decorated with telamons. The kitchens were originally situated on the ground floor of the southern wing but they were already relocated by Hauszmann.

Central wing

* Diplomat's Staircase ("Diplomata-lépcső") - The Baroque main staircase of the central (originally northern) wing gave access to the private apartments of Maria Theresa. In the 18th century there was an officer's dining room and a smaller kitchen on the ground floor and another dining room with a cafe kitchen on the first floor. The southern and northern (later central) wings had the same ground plan: all the rooms opened from a passageway going along the sides of a rectangular central court. The two monumental stairways were rebuilt by Hauszmann in Neo-Baroque style.

* St. Sigismund Chapel or Castle Church ("Szent Zsigmond-kápolna", "Vártemplom") - The palace chapel in the western end of this wing had no façades, only a door opening onto Lions Court (through an antechamber). Its construction was finished in 1768 and the church was consecrated in 1769. The ground plan was drawn by Nicolaus Pacassi but the interior was designed by his follower, Franz Anton Hillebrandt. The ground plan followed a typical "violin" form, favoured in the Baroque church architecture of Central Europe that time. It had a rectangular chancel and a nave with four bays for side altars. On the first and the second floors two oratories opened into the chancel and a two-story high gallery was situated above the entrance. In 1777-78 a new door was opened in the first side bay to give access to the new Chapel of the Holy Right. An engraving from 1771-80 shows the original interior design in its completed form: double pilasters, windows with segmental arches, stucco and false marble decoration, double oratory windows and an interesting doorway with a stucco veil drawn aside by flying putti. The church was slightly rebuilt by Hauszmann who demolished the Chapel of the Holy Right in 1899 and built a new chapel for the relic behind the chancel (converting a small recess). This chapel was decorated with the golden Venetian mosaics of Károly Lotz. A new Neo-Baroque main altar was built in the church in 1899. 20th century photos testify that the church survived in its Baroque form until the war. During the siege the vaults of the church partially collapsed and the furniture was plundered. The Castle Church was left decaying for more than a decade. In 1957 the remaining two vaults collapsed, and the church was totally destroyed and converted to exhibition spaces. The altar table was rescued and re-erected in Pilisvörösvár in 1957. The Lotz mosaics from the Chapel of the Holy Right were also rescued and re-assembled in Balatonalmádi.

* Palatinal Crypt ("Nádori kripta") - The Palatinal Crypt under the former palace chapel is now the only surviving room of the whole Royal Castle. The underground crypt was first used as a burial place between 1770–1777. In August 1820 Elisabeth Karoline, the infant daughter of Palatine Joseph was buried in the crypt. Seventeen years later, the Palatine's 13-year-old son Alexander Leopold followed. This time Palatine Joseph decided to convert the crypt into a family mausoleum, and commissioned Franz Hüppmann with the task. The work was finished in 1838 and other members of the Palatine's family were reburied here. Palatine Joseph himself was interred on 13 January 1847. The crypt was continuously used by the Hungarian branch of the Habsburg family. It was repeatedly restored and enriched with new works of art, frescoes, statues and ornate stone sarcophagi, made by the best artists of the 19th century. The last member of the family buried here was Archduchess Klotild in 1927. The crypt survived the war unscathed and wasn't destroyed during the post-war reconstruction, only closed off. The crypt was robbed in 1966 and 1973 (during the construction works). Even the corpses were thrown out of the sarcophagi by the tomb robbers. The human remains were later identified and reburied. The crypt was restored in 1985-1987. Since then the Palatinal Crypt is part of the exhibition of the Hungarian National Gallery.

Northern wing

* Lobby ("Előcsarnok") - The main lobby of the Royal Palace was situated in the Danube side of Hauszmann's Northern Wing. It was a long, rectangular hall divided into four sections with free standing Ionian columns and two square pillars. The section in the southern end was elevated with a few steps. Nine arched windows were opening towards the Danube. In the middle of the other sidewall there was a doorway leading to the inner courtyard. The walls and the ceiling were stuccoed. The southern elevation was closed off with a stone balustrade between the pillars and the wall. The ornate lobby was designed for important state ceremonies.

* Great Ballroom ("Nagy bálterem") - The Great Ballroom in the middle part of the northern wing took over the function of the smaller old ballroom in the Baroque wing. It was the most splendid room of the palace, designed by Hauszmann. The two-storeys high, airy room was lavishly decorated with stuccoes, half columns, trabeation, balconies and six huge crystal chandeliers in Neo-Baroque style. Seven arched windows and doorways opened towards a pillared terrace facing the western forecourt. On the other side the ballroom was connected to the Buffet Hall through three doors. Photos made after the war show the room with its vaulted ceiling collapsed. In the course of the reconstruction the ballroom was totally destroyed.

* Buffet Hall ("Buffet-csarnok") - The Buffet Hall on the Danube side of the northern wing was a very long hall used for state banquets. It was connected to the Great Ballroom nearby and it was possible to join them together. There was a shorter, passage-like space between the two rooms. This passage was separated from the Buffet Hall with six square pillars while its other side was made up by a solid wall (with three doors). On the eastern side of the Buffet Hall a long row of windows opened towards the Danube and a pillared terrace. The Buffet Hall itself was divided into three sections with free-standing Ionian columns, holding trabeations. The vaulted ceiling was lavishly decorated with frescoes and stuccoes.

* Habsburg Room ("Habsburg terem") - The Habsburg Room was situated right in the middle of the long palace complex, under Hauszmann's (false) dome where the new northern wing and the old palace met. Although this part of the building was part of the original palace, it was thoroughly rebuilt by Hauszmann and this stately room was totally his own work. It was one of the three historical rooms of the palace representing the important periods of Hungarian history. A free-standing, double flight of steps, called Habsburg Steps, connected the room with the Royal Gardens on the Danube terrace. The room had a lavish Baroque decoration with half-pillars and gilded stuccoes. The vaulted ceiling was decorated with Károly Lotz's huge fresco "Apotheosis of the Habsburg Dynasty". Károly Senyei's four Carrara marble busts stood in front of the sidewalls representing King Charles III, Queen Maria Theresa, King Franz Joseph I and Queen Elisabeth of Bavaria. The Habsburg Room survived World War II unscathed but in the 1950s it was deliberately destroyed for political reasons.

Krisztinaváros Wing

* Entrance hall ("Előcsarnok") - The entrance hall opened from Lions Court, under an arcaded Neo-Renaissance portico, through ornate wrought-iron doors. Now this is the entrance of the Hungarian National Library. It was a long, oblong-shaped room with 4+4 free standing Ionian columns in front of the walls on the longer sides, holding a trabeation. In the end of the shorter sides two doors opened into antechambers. The three arcaded doorways on the longer side opened into a lobby. The ceiling of the hallway was stuccoed, and the whole design was Italian Renaissance in style.

* Lobby ("Előcsarnok") - The lobby was connected to the hall of the main staircase through pillars. The stuccoed ceiling was held by two rectangular pillars. The apartments of Archduke József Ágost and his wife, Archduchess Auguszta were situated on the ground floor of the Krisztinaváros wing, and opened from this room. Now it serves as the lobby of the Hungarian National Library in a radically modernized form.

* Main Staircase ("Főlépcsőház") - The monumental main staircase with three flights was leading up from the lobby to the first floor in an airy, glass-roofed hall. The side walls of the hall were decorated in Italian Renaissance style with colossal Corinthian half-columns, stuccoes and lunette openings. Ornate wrought-iron chandeliers and intricate balustrades decorated the stairs. At the ground-floor colossal Atlas statues stood beside the side pillars, holding the weight of the upper flights. The marble statues were the works of János Fadrusz from 1897. During the post-war reconstruction the main staircase was radically modernized. Only the two colossal Atlas statues survived. Now they are standing somewhat incongruently near their original places.

* Saint Stephen's Room ("Szent István" terem") - Saint Stephen's Room on the first floor of the Krisztinaváros wing was one of the "historical rooms" of the palace, created by Hauszmann. Together with the Matthias Room and the Habsburg Room they represented the three most important periods of Hungarian history. Saint Stephen's Room connected the new Private Royal Apartments and—through a very long passageway—the Old Royal Apartments in the Danube Wing. Its style evoked the age of the Árpáds, the first Hungarian dynasty in the early Middle Ages. The walls were clad with dark, carved wood paneling. The most spectacular item was a large stone mantelpiece with Romanesque Revival architectural details and the bust of King Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary. The room was furnished with medieval-looking metal chandeliers and heavy wooden furniture.

* Matthias Room ("Mátyás" terem") - Matthias Room was named after Matthias Corvinus, the greatest Hungarian king in the late Middle Ages. It was one of the three "historical rooms" of the palace, created by Hauszmann. The room opened from the Royal Bedroom, in the end of the line of the Private Apartments. It had three windows, opening towards the hills of Buda. There was a long terrace in front of the room. The style of the Matthias Room was aptly chosen as Renaissance with carved wooden paneling and a coffered ceiling. It was only furnished with a mantelpiece in the corner and two chandeliers, the most spectacular item being the equestrian statue of King Matthias, sculpted by János Fadrusz. The statue was a miniature copy of the original standing on the main square of Kolozsvár (now Cluj-Napoca). This copy was saved after the war and put on display in the Hungarian National Gallery.

* Strong Room ("Páncélterem") - The Hungarian crown jewels were kept in the specially designed strong room on the second floor of the Krisztinaváros Wing. The Crown of Saint Stephen was kept here between 1900 and 1944.

* Queen Elisabeth Memorial Museum ("Erzsébet Királyné Emlékmúzeum") - This small museum on the second floor of the Krisztinaváros Wing was established in remembrance of Queen Elisabeth. The popular queen was murdered in 1898. Memorabilia were collected by Ida Ferenczy, Elisabeth's former duenna, Viscountess Pallavicini and Countess Ilona Batthyány. The museum opened on 15 January 1908 as an affiliate of the Hungarian National Museum. The collection mainly contained personal items, letters and clothes. Its most important relic was the costume that Elisabeth was wearing when she was murdered. One room was meticulously recreated as the Queen's own writing room with her original writing desk and her 219 Hungarian books. The museum was badly damaged during World War II and the surviving relics were bestowed to other museums. [http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:EEYJ0dzkWv8J:www.bparchiv.hu/magyar/kiadvany/bpn/52_53/emlekmuzeum.html+%22Erzs%C3%A9bet+Kir%C3%A1lyn%C3%A9+Eml%C3%A9km%C3%BAzeum+%22&hl=hu&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=hu&lr=lang_hu]

Private Royal Apartments

* Royal Entrance Hall ("Fejedelmi előterem") - The Royal Entrance Hall on the first floor of the Krisztinaváros Wing gave access to the rooms of the Private Royal Apartments of King Franz Joseph. The private apartments were situated in the southwestern part of the Krisztinaváros wing, their windows opening towards the green hills of Buda. The Royal Entrance Hall was connected through a wide passageway to the main staircase hall. The spacious, oblong-shaped hall was divided in three with two pairs of Ionian marble columns supporting architraves. The central part of the room was much longer than the "bays" in both ends. Doors connected the hall with the different rooms of the Private Apartments. In the middle of the longer wall stood an ornate stone mantelpiece with the bust of Franz Joseph. On the other side three windows opened to the inner courtyard of the Krisztinaváros wing. The ceiling was stuccoed and the side walls of the hall were covered with marble.

* Antechamber ("Előterem")- The antechamber of the Private Apartments opened from the Royal Entrance Hall. It had three windows towards the hills. The room had a typical Biedermeier white-golden stucco decoration with floral wallpapers, resembling to the cosy rooms of Schönbrunn Palace. All the rooms of the Private Apartments followed this Viennese style, favoured by the King. The antechamber was furnished with a stone mantelpiece (with a huge mirror above), an Empire crystal chandelier, a stone flowerpot standing on a fluted column and Neo-Renaissance table with chairs.

* Audience Room ("Fogadószoba") - The audience room of Franz Joseph was situated in the corner of the Private Apartments wing with two windows opening southwards and three windows opening westwards. It had a beautiful stuccoed and frescoed ceiling. The walls were covered with floral wallpapers. The room was furnished with a crystal chandelier, a golden Rococo console table with a large mirror and a parlour suite.

* Writing Room ("Írószoba") - The writing room of Franz Joseph had two windows opening towards the hills of Buda. It had a white-golden stuccoed ceiling and the walls were covered with floral wallpapers. The room was furnished with a crystal chandelier, an ornate white tile stove, a table and chairs. To the right and left two similar parlours opened from the room.

* Royal Bedroom ("Fejedelmi hálószoba") - The bedroom of the king had two windows opening towards the hills of Buda. It had a white-golden stuccoed ceiling and the walls were covered with floral wallpapers. The room was furnished with a crystal chandelier, the baldachined royal bed and a folding screen. The bedroom was connected to a dressing room, a private bathroom and smaller rooms belonging to the butler and the servants.

* Royal Dining Hall ("Fejedelmi ebédlő") - The Royal Dining Hall opened from the Royal Entrance Hall, and it was the largest room of the Private Apartments. The long hall had six windows, opening towards Gellért Hill. Three big crystal chandeliers gave light to the elegant, stuccoed space. In the middle of the longer side wall, between the two doors, stood a marble mantelpiece.

* "Circle" Room ("Circle" terem") - The "Circle" Room opened from the Royal Dining Hall. It was the last room of the Private Apartments on the southern side, with three windows opening towards Gellért Hill. It had a white-golden stuccoed ceiling and the walls were covered with floral wallpapers. The room was furnished with a crystal chandelier, an ornate white tile stove and chairs.

* Dining Room ("Ebédlő") - The small dining room was situated in the northern part of the Krisztinaváros wing, among the other rooms of the Royal Guest Suite. Four windows were opening towards Krisztinaváros. The ceiling was stuccoed while the walls were covered with carved wooden paneling and wallpaper. A stone mantelpiece and large painting above it (depicting a hunting scene with a deer) gave a homely feeling to the room. It was furnished with a crystal chandelier and a long dining table with 12 chairs.

Archducal Apartments

These apartments on the ground floor of the Krisztinaváros Wing were designed in 1902 for Archduke József Ágost (1872-1962), the head of the Hungarian branch of the Habsburgs, and his wife, Archduchess Auguszta (1875-1964). They could be reached from the lobby of the Krisztinaváros wing through a long passageway. The most important rooms were (in due course): the salon where guests were entertained, the great parlour, parlour, dining room (in the corner of the building with 2+3 windows), the Archduke's study, the Archduke's bedroom, the Archduchess' bedroom, the Archduchess' study and the breakfast parlour. All rooms had a stylish but relatively simple decoration with white stuccoed ceilings and stucco panels above the doorways. The walls were covered with wallpaper. Crystal chandeliers, stone mantelpieces and typical turn-of-the-century furniture gave the rooms a homely ambiance. The great parlour was decorated with large paintings.

See also

* History of Buda Castle
* Works of art in Buda Castle
* Palatinal Crypt
* Medieval Royal Palace (Buda Castle)

References

* [http://arch.eptort.bme.hu/29/29fekete.html Architectura Hungariae 8(2006), 1] – with groundplans and photos.