Esterházy Palace
The castle of the princes
Esterházy Palace, a famous Burgenland landmark and one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in Austria, still exudes the magic of a glorious age.
The traces of today's Esterházy Palace date back to the 13th century. Back then, a stately building dominated the settlement of Eisenstadt. I meet my friend Monika where the actual history of the castle begins - at the entrance to the 14th century castle. Uncovered during renovation work, the historic gate is now integrated into the castle boutique. Monika guides interested visitors through the baroque building in the center of Burgenland's capital. Time for me to make use of her services too. We begin our tour in the Haydn Hall, which is considered a true jewel among the world's concert halls, and not just because of its outstanding acoustics.
Under Prince Paul I Esterházy, who had the medieval castle converted into a Baroque residence in the second half of the 17th century, the palace was given a prestigious banqueting hall extending over three floors in the form of the "Great Hall". Opulent frescoes span an arc from the beginnings of human history to the present day. Depictions of over fifty Esterházy estates, ancestral portraits, portraits of Hungarian kings and six portraits of Roman emperors underline the importance of the House of Esterházy at that time.
Ticino-born fresco master Carpoforo Tencalla designed the impressive ceiling of the Great Hall, in the middle of which the king's daughter Psyche is taken up into the heaven of the gods. As a tribute to the celebrated composer Joseph Haydn - who was in the service of the Princes Esterházy for around 40 years and created some of his most important works here - the hall was finally renamed the Haydn Hall in the middle of the 20th century after several renovations and is now the venue for top-class musical performances. The "Haydn explosive" exhibition in the ground-floor Sala terrena of the palace is dedicated to the composer in a pop and refreshingly colorful setting.
Baroque splendor and hidden windows
We continue our tour through magnificent rooms such as the Empire Hall, the Small and Large Chinese Salon, whose original Chinese paper wallpaper from the 18th century has been wonderfully preserved to this day despite its sensitivity to light, as well as the Mirror and Balcony Hall. It formed the "transition zone" between the prince's living area in the east wing and that of the princess in the west wing. The Red Salon, in turn, furnished with precious silk wallpaper and portraits of the last imperial couple Sisi and Franz Joseph I, served as the reception room for the respective princesses' wives.
Their living quarters were opened to the public in 2012 with the exhibition "The Princess's Apartment". The carefully restored rooms of the apartment provide an insight into the eventful biographies of three charismatic women of the Esterházy family: Marie, wife of Prince Nicholas II, Therese, wife of Prince Paul III, and Lady Sarah Child-Villiers, wife of Nicholas III. They all lived here, cared for by their servants and chambermaids, who lived next to their mistress in the so-called "women's room". Monika tells of love, arranged marriages, affairs, illegitimate children and everyday life in the Princely House.
INFO
GENERAL INFORMATION:
www.burgenland.info
Burgenland Tourism
Johann Permayer-Strasse 13
7000 Eisenstadt
02682/633 84
A staircase leads to the staff quarters, some of whom were paid in kind at the time. A small, simple room stands out. The private oratory at the end of the corridor enabled the respective princess to look through a hidden window directly at the altar of the palace chapel behind it and attend mass unseen. The chapel forms the final point of my tour. This is where Haydn played the organ and probably premiered his "Missa in angustiis". For me, his music is canned. If you close your eyes, you might think the master was playing himself.
Eva Bukovec
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