Buda Castle

The Hungarian kings built their residence high above the Danube. Today the Royal Palace is among the most popular destinations in the capital, not least because of the magnificent view

The construction of the first castle was closely linked to the Mongol invasions of the years 1241–42. King Béla IV had numerous fortifications built in the country in the 13th century as protection from further attacks and to control the Danube, and fortified Buda with a royal castle of which, however, nothing remains. A small palace was built in its place under King Charles Robert of Anjou in the 14th century, on top of which King Louis of Anjou built himself a magnificent palace after the royal residence had moved from Visegrád to Buda. A few fragments, for example the so-called Stephen’s Tower, a Gothic residential tower, and the lower section of a palace chapel have survived from this period. His successor Sigismund had the residence massively extended to the north with the New Palace, which does not survive. The living quarters were equipped with heating systems and the fortifications were improved all around. Under King Matthias Corvinus, who is remembered as a promoter of the Renaissance and humanism, the royal palace was extended magnificently in the style of the early Renaissance. The Turks did not destroy the royal palace during their 150-year rule, but nor did they do anything towards its maintenance. Sigismund’s so-called New Palace served as an armoury and was totally destroyed by an explosion in 1578, while the other royal buildings fell victim to the sieges and battles of 1686. After victory over the Turks by the Holy Alliance, the damaged fortifications were initially restored and renewed, but it was only in the 18th century that the Habsburg kings undertook the building of a new palace. A new residence was built north of Stephen’s Tower under Charles III in 1719, to plans by the Italian architect Fortunato Prati. Maria Theresa finally ordered the further extension of the rather humble palace, which was completed in 1770. From then on, the palace was a symmetrical three-part building, comprised of a south wing (the original palace and today’s E wing), a higher central wing (today’s D wing), and a northern wing (today’s C wing). The planning was placed in the hands of Jean Nicolas Jadot, who was active as an architect at the court of Vienna. The Baroque architect Franz Anton Hillebrandt supervised the construction. For almost a hundred years no further building works were undertaken on the palace, in which the representatives of the Habsburg emperors (palatines) had lived since 1790. Only in 1867, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, were renewed plans made for an extension, which was this time entrusted to the Hungarian architect Miklós Ybl...read more