Carmelite Monastery of Buda, Former baroque monastery in Castle District, Budapest, Hungary.
The Carmelite Monastery of Buda is a former monastery featuring baroque architecture and comprises a two-story building with an enclosed courtyard connected to a single-nave church on its southern side. The spatial layout reflects the typical arrangement of a religious community with dedicated areas for worship and daily activities.
Construction of the monastery took place between 1725 and 1736 on land that previously held St. John's Church, making it a center for the Carmelite order. Following Joseph II's decree in 1787, the building was repurposed as a theater.
The refectory displays late-Baroque neoclassical wall paintings by Ferenc Gelinek and houses artworks from the Hungarian National Gallery collection. These artistic elements shape the interior character of the space.
The building now serves as the office of Hungary's Prime Minister and is not open to the public for visits. It is located within the Castle District and remains part of the surrounding complex of historic structures.
After its conversion to a theater in the 1700s, the building served for a time as a ballroom and dance venue before it took on its current governmental role. This succession of different uses tells the story of Budapest's changing fortunes.
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