ROYAL CASTLE (GÖDÖLLŐI KIRÁLYI KASTÉLY)

After the defeat of the Hungarians at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Turkish armies invaded the country, occupying Buda in 1541 and then Gödöllő where the Hungarian population dwindled sharply, until only a few families remained. It was not until 1733 that Count Antony I Grassalkovich, one of the greatest Hungarian lords of the time, undertook the construction of the castle based on the plans of András Mayerhofer, a renowned Baroque architect, who had already built several aristocratic palaces. At the same time, Grassalkovich had houses built in the village in order to invite German immigrants to settle there and to increase the number of Catholics in the population, which at that time consisted mainly of reformed people.

It is also to the initiative of the count that we owe the public monuments in the Baroque style, such as the Calvary, the column of the Virgin Mary, the statue of St. John Nepomuk. Gödöllő became a flourishing town, which in 1763 was granted the right to hold fairs.

In 1751, Maria Theresa, then Empress of Austria, came to visit Count Grassalkovich in his castle in Gödöllő to thank him for his political and military assistance during the War of Succession in Bavaria.

With Antony III Grassalkovich, the male branch of the family died out in 1841.

In 1850, Baron György Sina bought the castle and its outbuildings as a simple financial investment, and then sold it in 1864 to a Belgian bank

From 1867 began the second period of Gödöllő's glory. The castle was then bought by the Hungarian state, which gave it as a coronation gift to the imperial couple, Franz Joseph I and Elisabeth (better known as Sissi). Gödöllő Castle became Sissi's favorite royal residence. She spent more time there than in Vienna. It was especially in spring and autumn that the imperial family stayed here.

Thanks to these frequent stays, the northern line of the Hungarian railroad, which was under construction at the time, was diverted to pass through Gödöllő. After Sissi's assassination in 1898, Franz Josef visited less often. His last visit was in 1911.

After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the castle served as the summer residence of the Hungarian regent, Miklós Horthy. The Second World War brought an end to this period "when Hungary was a kingdom without a king".

From 1950 onwards, with the communist reign that fell upon Hungary, Soviet "regroupings" were housed in its outbuildings. The north wing was used as a weapons store, and the main building was used as a retirement home. In 1990, following the opening of the Eastern Bloc countries, the Soviet groups left the castle for good.

A first phase of renovation, completed in 1996, allowed the opening to the public of the splendid hall of honor and the royal apartments of the main building. Since the original furniture was stolen or dispersed, the interiors were furnished with copies or similar pieces from other Hungarian collections.

The castle today.

The hall of honor was built around 1758 according to the plans of Nicolaus Pacassi, the emperor's architect. Franz Joseph's study is covered with red and gold tapestries. The woodwork, mirrors and the white ceramic fireplace are of the period.

In the salons of Sissi, the dominant color is purple, the favorite color of the sovereign. In the small salon, one can see portraits of the most prominent politicians of the time, such as Ferenc Deák, Count Gyula Andrássy, Baron József Eötvös. Other paintings show Sissi as a fierce 16-year-old bride and during the coronation ceremony in Buda, where she wears a dress created by the Parisian couturier Worth, who was inspired by traditional Hungarian costume. In her dressing room, one can see a drawing of Possenhofen Castle, the castle of her childhood in Bavaria, as well as the portrait of her sister Marie and her mother, Ludovika, who was none other than the sister of her cantankerous stepmother. (Yes, Franz Joseph was her cousin.) On the desk are the portraits of her children: Gisèle, Marie-Valérie and her only son, the infamous Rodolphe of the Mayerling drama.

The park and the royal stables.

Inside the castle, a small spiral staircase behind Sissi's bedroom led to the first floor, where she could access the horse riding arena. She was a passionate horsewoman. She had the architect Miklós Ybl add marble stables to the existing baroque stables, as well as a coach house for the many carriages.

Concerts are held in the main courtyard.