Palais Erdödy
Encyclopedia
Palais Erdödy, also called the Palais Esterházy, was a palace
in Vienna
, Austria
. It was commissioned by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II
in 1802 to be designed and built by Karl von Moreau.
The palace was three stories high and built in the Empire
style. The entrance was an enormous arch
way with a coffered ceiling. From there, a staircase decorated with Corinthian columns led to an elegant ballroom
with mirror
ed double-doors, walls clad in white, artificial marble
, gild
ed capitals
, fresco
es, and a richly decorated parquet . It was considered one of the best examples of nineteenth-century architecture.
The palace was subsequently sold by the Esterházy family to the Erdödy
family, under whom the palace was renamed. It was slightly damaged during World War II
. The new owners, the "Verein der Freunde des Wohnungseigentums" (Association of the Friends of Real Estate), had the building demolished in 1955 to make way for a new building.
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It was commissioned by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II
Nikolaus II, Fürst Esterházy de Galántha
Nikolaus II Esterházy was a wealthy Hungarian prince. He served the Austrian Empire and was a member of the famous Esterházy family...
in 1802 to be designed and built by Karl von Moreau.
The palace was three stories high and built in the 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...
style. The entrance was an enormous arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
way with a coffered ceiling. From there, a staircase decorated with Corinthian columns led to an elegant ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
with mirror
Mirror
A mirror is an object that reflects light or sound in a way that preserves much of its original quality prior to its contact with the mirror. Some mirrors also filter out some wavelengths, while preserving other wavelengths in the reflection...
ed double-doors, walls clad in white, artificial marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, gild
Gilding
The term gilding covers a number of decorative techniques for applying fine gold leaf or powder to solid surfaces such as wood, stone, or metal to give a thin coating of gold. A gilded object is described as "gilt"...
ed capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
, fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es, and a richly decorated parquet . It was considered one of the best examples of nineteenth-century architecture.
The palace was subsequently sold by the Esterházy family to the Erdödy
Erdody
Erdődy is the name of a Hungarian noble family in the Kingdom of Hungary . The Habsburg Monarchy granted them the title Graf / Gräfin....
family, under whom the palace was renamed. It was slightly damaged 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...
. The new owners, the "Verein der Freunde des Wohnungseigentums" (Association of the Friends of Real Estate), had the building demolished in 1955 to make way for a new building.