HISTORY
Between 1764 and 1784 Prince Miklós Esterházy extended it on the basis of his own plans, although Melchior Hefele was the architect chiefly involved in its rebuilding.
Several architects, including Miklós Jakoby, collaborated on the project. The park was created in Baroque style and is also credited to Esterházy, although after his death it fell into disrepair. Parts of the building were damaged in 1944 and 1945 during WWII, and restoration was carried out in 1958 and 1959.
The elevation of the main building is a three-storey central block of eleven bays, the three central bays of which have an additional storey and project slightly.
The ground floor is banded, and the balconied storeys above are articulated by giant pilasters. Two wings of the same elevation as the central block extend out, forming a large cour d’honneur, the inner angles of which are curved.
The court is closed off at its front end by balconied wings of one storey with blind arcades and by an ornate Rococo wrought-iron gate adorned with vases. A fountain of a cherub with a dolphin is in the centre of the courtyard. Six bays of the garden façade project towards the extensive formal gardens designed in the French manner.
The grounds originally had a music house where Joseph Haydn was resident composer and Kapellmeister from 1761. On the ground floor the Sala Terrena (one of 126 rooms) has a ceiling frescoed (1766) by Josef Ignaz Mildorfer.
Johann Basilius Grundmann executed a fresco of Apollo on the Chariots of the Sun in the banquet hall on the first floor; the room also contains sculptures of the Four Seasons by Johann Joseph Rössler. The chapel has frescoes by Mildorfer. After years of neglect, the interior of the palace was restored by Zsigmond Babics at the end of the 19th century.
Hospital
After the Second World War the castle came in Soviet hands. As a result most of the inventory was stolen. Eventually the buildings were transformed into a hospital. The last years, until 1999, the buildings were in use as a psychiatric hospital.
Margit Rose Garden
Countess Margit Cziráky's favorite flower was the rose; the prince's wife has the original one.
A rose garden dreamed up and created in 1908. The contemporary photos and descriptions could be used as a basis for the planning and construction of the current rose garden. From the old rose garden, only the former arbor system and the central pavilion have been preserved; these important elements were restored on site. 8,700 rose bushes were planted in the rose beds. When selecting the rose sensors, the aim was to decorate the garden with the species that had been grafted by the rose giver Gergely Márk. Of the 600 species he refined, more than 400 are now in the rose garden.
ARCHITECTURE
Rooms
The palace has 126 rooms. Of particular note is the Banquet Room which has on its ceiling a painting of Apollo in his Chariot. The large library holds almost 22,000 volumes and is graced with the letter 'E', standing for the family surname. The largest room is the grotto-like Sala Terrana which was inspired by the then fashionable Italianate style. On the ceiling are dancing Angels who hold wreaths of flowers in the shape of an 'E'.
CURRENT SITUATION
Today is at Eszterhaza Palace museum, you can enjoy different kind of tours. At Eszterhaza Palace is possible rent rooms. For all those who want advice or are looking for the right venue for a special occasion, we recommend the palace's state hall and music hall, which are of unique beauty and have been reconstructed. The Sala Terrena and the summer dining room are ideal locations for smaller, exclusive events. For outdoor events, we recommend the reconstructed State Garden or the Palace Park.
