Old Town Hall in Buda, Town hall in the Castle Quarter, Budapest, Hungary
The Old Town Hall of Buda is a one-storey Baroque monument at Szentháromság utca 2, with three facades facing Szentháromság utca, Úri utca and Tárnok utca. Two projecting enclosed balconies rest on carved stone consoles at its corners, and a small bell and clock tower rises above the east wing. In a niche on the Szentháromság Square corner stands a statue of Pallas Athena whose shield bears the coat of arms of Buda.
The structure rose between 1692 and 1710 atop the remains of an older Gothic building, with Italian master builder Ceresola overseeing construction. Its completion came as Buda rebuilt itself following Ottoman conflicts and needed new administrative facilities.
The building's name, Régi budai városháza, marks it as Buda's former town hall, used by the municipal council until 1873 and by the 1st district until 1944. On the corner facing Szentháromság Square, a niche holds a statue of Pallas Athena whose shield bears the coat of arms of Buda. Since 2014 the Pallas Athéné Domus Sapientiae Foundation has occupied the building.
The building stands at the corner of Szentháromság tér, with its longest facade along Szentháromság utca and side facades on Úri utca and Tárnok utca. The Pallas Athena statue sits in a niche at the corner facing the square. The building now houses the Pallas Athéné Domus Sapientiae Foundation, so the interior is not a public museum; the exterior and the statue can be seen from the street and square.
The four allegorical stone figures of virtues from the old Pest town hall, demolished in 1900, were moved into the building's hall. In the entrance hall, medieval seating niches survive, and a carved stone balustrade lines the stair to the upper floor.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,783 contributors worldwide.