Interiors of Buda Castle - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The interiors of Buda Castle
Buda Castle
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was also called Royal Palace and Royal Castle ....

, the former palace of the Hungarian kings in Budapest

Budapest

Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...

, Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

, were all destroyed during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

and the post-war reconstruction (except the Palatinal Crypt

Palatinal Crypt

The Palatinal Crypt in Buda Castle, Budapest is the burial place of the Hungarian branch of the Habsburg dynasty, founded by Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary...

). There is very little data about the interiors from the medieval and Baroque

Baroque

The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

era. However, the turn-of-the-century palace was meticulously recorded with detailed descriptions, photographic documentation and grounds plans. Architect Alajos Hauszmann

Alajos Hauszmann

Hauszmann Alajos was an Austro-Hungarian architect, professor, and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.-Life:...

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

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....

Old ceremonial rooms

Ballroom (Nagyterem) - The ballroom (or Large Throne Room) 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 Schmutzer's drawing from 1777 shows the opening ceremony of the university after it was moved to the palace. 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
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...

can be seen. After the destruction of the 1849 siege the room was redecorated in Neo-Baroque style. In 1892 the old ballroom was rebuilt with a new ceiling and a gallery towards the Lions Court but three of its 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
Hungarian National Gallery
The Hungarian National Gallery , was established in 1957 as the national art museum. It is located in Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary. Its collections cover Hungarian art in all genres, including the many twentieth-century Hungarian artists who worked in Paris and other locations in the West...

.
White Antechamber (Fehér előterem) - The White Antechamber on the first floor of the Baroque wing was situated south of the ballroom. 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
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...

's coronation as King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...

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 ballroom. 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
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...

's private apartments from the ballroom. 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
Battle of Zenta
The Battle of Zenta or Battle of Senta, fought on 11 September 1697 just south of Zenta , on the east side of the Tisza river, was a major engagement in the Great Turkish War and one of the most decisive defeats in Ottoman history...

.

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 converted into 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
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

. 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
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...

. 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
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...

. 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
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...

. 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
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...

. 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.

Southern wing

Baroque Court (Barokk udvar) - The rectangular court is the oldest part of the Baroque palace. Here 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
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...

. Both the King's Staircase and its northern pair, the Diplomat's Staircase had ornate gates opening onto Lions Court, decorated with telamon
Telamon
In Greek mythology, Telamon , son of the king Aeacus, of Aegina, and Endeis and brother of Peleus, accompanied Jason as one of his Argonauts, and was present at the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. In the Iliad he was the father of Greek heroes Ajax the Great and Teucer the Archer by different...

s. 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 running 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-storey 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
Károly Lotz
Lotz Károly Antal Pál, or Karl Anton Paul Lotz was a German-Hungarian painter.- Career :Karl Lotz was born in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany, the 7th and youngest surviving child of Wilhelm Christian Lotz and Antonia Höfflick ...

. 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
Pilisvörösvár
Pilisvörösvár is a town in Pest county, Hungary. It is twinned with Schramberg, Germany.- External links :*...

in 1957. The Lotz mosaics from the Chapel of the Holy Right were also rescued and re-assembled in Balatonalmádi
Balatonalmádi
Balatonalmádi, a town of 8,500 inhabitants, is a popular resort town near the northeast corner of Lake Balaton, in Hungary.- History :The town developed from four, previously separated villages, which were united by combining Balatonalmádi and Káptalanfüred in 1952, and Balatonalmádi and...

.

Palatinal Crypt
Palatinal Crypt
The Palatinal Crypt in Buda Castle, Budapest is the burial place of the Hungarian branch of the Habsburg dynasty, founded by Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary...

(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, Palatine Joseph's infant daughter 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 was spared during the post-war reconstruction. The crypt was robbed in 1966 and 1973 (during the construction works). Even the corpses were thrown out of the sarcophagi by the 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
Hungarian National Gallery
The Hungarian National Gallery , was established in 1957 as the national art museum. It is located in Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary. Its collections cover Hungarian art in all genres, including the many twentieth-century Hungarian artists who worked in Paris and other locations in the West...

.

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 Ionic columns
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...

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-storey 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 by 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 Ionic 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 belonged to 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
Károly Lotz
Lotz Károly Antal Pál, or Karl Anton Paul Lotz was a German-Hungarian painter.- Career :Karl Lotz was born in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany, the 7th and youngest surviving child of Wilhelm Christian Lotz and Antonia Höfflick ...

'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
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...

, Queen Maria Theresa, King Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...

and Queen Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Austria was the spouse of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others...

. 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 serves as the entrance of the Hungarian National Library. The hall was a long, oblong-shaped room with 4+4 free standing Ionic 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
Atlas (architecture)
In the classical European architectural tradition an atlas is a support sculpted in the form of a man, which may take the place of a column, a pier or a pilaster...

stood beside the side pillars, holding the weight of the upper flights. The marble statues were the works of János Fadrusz
János Fadrusz
János Fadrusz was a Hungarian sculptor. He was a celebrated artist of the age with many important public commission.-Early life:...

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
History of Hungary
Hungary is a country in central Europe. Its history under this name dates to the early Middle Ages, when the Pannonian Basin was colonized by the Magyars, a semi-nomadic people from what is now central-northern Russia...

. 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
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

. The walls were clad with dark, carved wood paneling. The most spectacular item was a large stone mantelpiece with Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...

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
Matthias Corvinus of Hungary
Matthias Corvinus , also called the Just in folk tales, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458, at the age of 14 until his death...

, 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
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...

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
János Fadrusz
János Fadrusz was a Hungarian sculptor. He was a celebrated artist of the age with many important public commission.-Early life:...

. 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
Hungarian National Gallery
The Hungarian National Gallery , was established in 1957 as the national art museum. It is located in Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary. Its collections cover Hungarian art in all genres, including the many twentieth-century Hungarian artists who worked in Paris and other locations in the West...

.
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
Elisabeth of Bavaria
Elisabeth of Austria was the spouse of Franz Joseph I, and therefore both Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She also held the titles of Queen of Bohemia and Croatia, among others...

after 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
Hungarian National Museum
- History:The Hungarian National Museum is said to have been founded in 1802 when Count Ferenc Széchényi set up the National Széchényi Library. This would then be followed a year later by the donating of a mineral collection by Széchényi’s wife. This led to the creation of the Hungarian National...

. The collection contained personal items, letters and clothes. Its most important relic was the costume that Elisabeth had been 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
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...

. The private apartments were situated in the southwestern part of the Krisztinaváros wing, their windows opening towards the green hills of Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...

. 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 Ionic 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
Biedermeier
In Central Europe, the Biedermeier era refers to the middle-class sensibilities of the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions...

white-golden stucco decoration with floral wallpapers, resembling to the cosy rooms of Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. One of the most important cultural monuments in the country, since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna...

. 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
Empire (style)
The Empire style, , sometimes considered the second phase of Neoclassicism, is an early-19th-century design movement in architecture, furniture, other decorative arts, and the visual arts followed in Europe and America until around 1830, although in the U. S. it continued in popularity in...

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
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...

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
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...

. 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
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...

. 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
Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill is a high hill overlooking the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. It is part of the 1st and 11th Districts. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the...

. 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
Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill is a high hill overlooking the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. It is part of the 1st and 11th Districts. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the...

. 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
Krisztinaváros
Krisztinaváros is a neighbourhood in central Budapest, situated just west of Castle Hill, north of Tabán. It is named after Archduchess Maria Christina, daughter of Maria Theresa, who interceded for buildings to be erected in this area...

. 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.