Gödöllő Palace, Royal palace in Gödöllő, Hungary
Gödöllő Palace is a royal residence in Gödöllő built in the Baroque style with a double U-shaped layout featuring eight wings, a riding hall, and a theater distributed across multiple levels. The complex includes a 26-hectare English garden, parking for 60 cars, and a tourist information center for visitors.
Count Antal Grassalkovich I began building the palace in 1735 to designs by Andreas Mayerhoffer; the first phase was finished in 1745, and two wings were added between 1746 and 1749. In 1867 the Hungarian state bought the estate and gave it to Franz Joseph I and Queen Elisabeth as a coronation gift. Elisabeth spent more than 2,000 days there until her death in 1898.
The palace displays exhibitions about 19th-century Hungarian aristocratic life, featuring period furniture, decorative arts, and royal artifacts from that era. These collections give you a sense of how the nobility lived and presented itself during that time.
The palace stands about 25 km northeast of Budapest in Gödöllő; the 1867 railway line was routed past it and a royal waiting salon was built for the family. The complex is entered through the courtyard enclosed by the three wings, with the 170-square-metre ceremonial hall on the street front of the central block. The baroque theatre in the south wing seats 100 and has hosted performances again since 2003.
The riding hall, built around 1743, was a favourite spot of Queen Elisabeth. Around 1877 it was rebuilt at her request with a raised floor, higher windows and a round manege with mirrors at four points, where circus riders taught her tricks such as jumping through a ring of fire.
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