Eszterháza

Eszterháza is a grand palace in Fertőd, Hungary, built by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. It is often called the "Hungarian Versailles" because of its size and beauty. The palace is one of Hungary's most important Rococo buildings, a style known for its fancy designs and decorations.

Aerial view

From 1766 to 1790, the famous composer Joseph Haydn and his orchestra lived and worked at Eszterháza. This made the palace an important place for music history. Today, visitors can explore the beautiful rooms and learn about the rich history of this amazing building.

History

Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, builder of Esterháza

Esterháza was not the main home of the Esterházy family; their main home was Schloss Esterházy, a palace nearby in Kismarton (now called Eisenstadt, Austria).

Eszterháza

Nikolaus Esterhazy started planning a new palace after he became the prince in 1762. Before this, he often stayed at a hunting lodge called Süttör, built around 1720, which became the start of Esterháza.

The palace was designed by several architects. Though it is often compared to Versailles, some believe it was more influenced by Schönbrunn palace in Vienna. Special windows above the entrance look like musical instruments.

Construction began in 1766 and took many years to finish. The opera house was ready in 1768, and the marionette theater in 1773. Famous composer Joseph Haydn lived here and gave concerts. The fountain in front of the palace was finished in 1784.

Esterházy Castle, Imre Madách Promenade

Nikolaus Esterházy passed away in 1790. His son and the leaders after him did not want to live in the palace anymore.

Location

The palace was built close to the south shore of the Neusiedler See. The land there was swampy and considered unhealthy when the palace was constructed. Prince Nicolaus chose this spot for his grand castle, perhaps to show that great ideas can overcome challenges.

Rooms

Sala Terrena of the Esterházy Palace

The palace features 126 rooms in total. One special room is the Banquet Room, where the ceiling shows a painting of Apollo riding in his Chariot. There is also a large library with nearly 22,000 books, and the letter 'E'—for the family name—is beautifully shown there. The biggest room is the Sala Terrana, which looks like a cave and was designed in a popular Italianate style. Angels dance on its ceiling, holding flower wreaths shaped like the letter 'E'.

Haydn at Eszterháza

From 1766 to 1790, famous composer Joseph Haydn lived at Eszterháza in a small flat. He wrote many of his symphonies for the prince’s orchestra there. The estate had two opera houses, including a main theatre that could hold 400 people and a marionette theatre. Haydn often conducted operas, sometimes more than a hundred times each year.

The palace was far from other places, which sometimes made life feel lonely for the musicians. This even inspired Haydn to write his Farewell Symphony as a gentle way to ask the prince to let them leave.