Budapest Castle Palace or the royal palace of Hungary is a popular tourist destination site of the Castle District and a World Heritage Site as well, drawing thousands of visitors each year.
Budapest Castle Palace is the residential palace of the Hungarian rulers and is a part of the Budapest World Heritage Site. The Budapest Castle Palace was constructed on the southern tip of the Castle Hill and lies close to the old Castle District. This Castle District area abounds in a variety of historical tourist attraction sites, museums, cafes and restaurants. The area also offers a panoramic view of the entire district.
History of Budapest Castle Palace
The Budapest Castle Palace has an interesting history which dates back to the 13th century when this castle was first inhabited by King Bela IV of Hungary. Though the construction started in the thirteenth century, it continued till the fourteenth century. The outer walls of the palace were not constructed till the end of the century.
During the 15th century, Sigismund of Luxembourg carried on with the construction process and added a chapel. However, the maximum construction of the Budapest Castle Palace took place during the regime of King Matthias Corvinus. He added the south-eastern ramparts and made a royal palace in Renaissance pattern. In the late 15th century, it became one of the most remarkable and beautiful royal thrones in Europe.
The Castle Palace in Budapest suffered great damages during the Turkish invasion and was completely destroyed in the year 1686 when Buda was taken over by the Christian troops. Thereafter in the year 1715, King Charles III ordered the ruins to be completely demolished. A miniature Baroque palace was built on the site resembling the previous palace structure.In 1748, the ruined palace was rebuilt with the help of public funds and the construction completed in
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the year 1769. The plans for the southern wing were made by chief architect J. N. Jadot and later on by F.A. Hillebrandt and Ignác Oracsek. In 1791, the Castle Palace became the residential palace of the Habsburg Palatines.
The palace was completely burnt during the siege of the Castle by the Hungarian revolutionary troops. Thereafter it was again rebuilt from 1850-56 and became an important symbol of peace and friendship. The Castle Palace was again severely damaged and burnt down during the siege of 1945. Much reconstruction work was done at the site as a result of which the remains of the palace during the medieval ages were discovered. After the reconstruction work was completed, the entire façade of the city underwent a huge change and the palace came to serve cultural purposes as well.
Interiors of Castle Palace
The interiors of the Castle Palace in Budapest were severely damaged during the Second World War. The palace comprises of two inner courts, one of which is open and the other one is closed. The open court has a statue of King Matthias wearing a hunting gear. The two entrances to the museum are also located in this court.
Museums of Budapest Castle Palace
One of the entrances leads to the Hungarian National Gallery which is located in the centre of the building. The northern wing of the Palace has Museum of the Hungarian Working Class Movement and the southern wing houses the Budapest History Museum. This museum focuses on the history of Budapest city from the early ages to the end of the communist regime. The Ludwig Museum is also an important part of the Castle Palace.
The Budapest Castle Palace is an interesting and extremely popular tourist destination site of Hungary.
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