Schloss Esterházy

Eisenstadt, Austria

Schloss Esterházy was constructed in the late 13th century, and came under ownership of the Hungarian Esterházy family in 1622. Under Paul I, 1st Prince Esterházy of Galántha the estate was converted into a baroque castle which remained the principal residence and center of administration of the family for over 300 years. The palace currently offers a wine museum, gift shop, guided tours, and concerts in the famous Haydnsaal as well as the large garden in the rear of the castle.

The Haydnsaal, originally the large multi-purpose festival and banquet room, is a piece of artwork in itself in the Schloss Esterházy. With its size and ornate splendor, it reflects the political, economic and cultural dominance of the Esterházy family. Today it ranks among the most beautiful and acoustically perfect concert halls of the world. Its name goes back to the famous composer Joseph Haydn, who worked for nearly forty years in the service of the Esterházy family. Many of his works composed and premiered in Eisenstadt and the Schloss Esterházy.

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Address

Esterhazyplatz 1, Eisenstadt, Austria
See all sites in Eisenstadt

Details

Founded: 1620s
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Austria

More Information

esterhazy.at
en.wikipedia.org
www.eisenstadt-tourismus.at

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Eisenstadt Cathedral (0,4 km)
Bergkirche (0,6 km)


St. Stephen's Cathedral (41,7 km)
Hofburg Palace (41,7 km)
Museumsquartier (41,4 km)
Kunsthistorisches Museum (41,4 km)
Augustinian Church (41,5 km)
Albertina (41,4 km)
St. Peter's Church (41,9 km)
Schönbrunn Palace (40,7 km)
Minoritenkirche (42 km)

User Reviews

Eben Coetzer (4 months ago)
Beautiful palace!
Antonio Piretti TOZ - Songwriter (4 months ago)
Beautiful location, great garden.. and cool wine-selection bar in front..
giovanni cabrera (4 months ago)
amazing , love it. stan melanie martinez
Pazan Pazan (5 months ago)
Do not like this place. The park was nothing special and I had the feeling, that the most of the treasures were stolen after the second word war.
Marius Zaharia (5 months ago)
Interesting place to spend half a day if you like history and architecture. However, some parts of the building looked like they were undergoing restoration or could use some in the near future. Also, signage within the museum could be improved, to make it clear where the different sections are.
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Palazzo Colonna

The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings built in part over ruins of an old Roman Serapeum, and has belonged to the prestigious Colonna family for over twenty generations.

The first part of the palace dates from the 13th century, and tradition holds that the building hosted Dante in his visit to Rome. The first documentary mention notes that the property hosted Cardinal Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna in the 13th century. It was also home to Cardinal Oddone Colonna before he ascended to the papacy as Martin V (1417–1431).

With his passing, the palace was sacked during feuds, and the main property passed into the hands of the Della Rovere family. It returned to the Colonna family when Marcantonio I Colonna married Lucrezia Gara Franciotti Della Rovere, the niece of pope Julius II. The Colonna"s alliance to the Habsburg power, likely protected the palace from looting during the Sack of Rome (1527).

Starting with Filippo Colonna (1578–1639) many changes have refurbished and create a unitary complex around a central garden. Architects including Girolamo Rainaldi and Paolo Marucelli labored on specific projects. Only in the 17th and 18th centuries were the main facades completed. Much of this design was completed by Antonio del Grande (including the grand gallery), and Girolamo Fontana (decoration of gallery). In the 18th century, the long low facade designed by Nicola Michetti with later additions by Paolo Posi with taller corner blocks (facing Piazza Apostoli) was constructed recalls earlier structures resembling a fortification.

The main gallery (completed 1703) and the masterful Colonna art collection was acquired after 1650 by both the cardinal Girolamo I Colonna and his nephew the Connestabile Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna and includes works by Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci (painting of The Beaneater), Guercino, Francesco Albani, Muziano and Guido Reni. Ceiling frescoes by Filippo Gherardi, Giovanni Coli, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari celebrate the role of Marcantonio II Colonna in the battle of Lepanto (1571). The gallery is open to the public on Saturday mornings.

The older wing of the complex known as the Princess Isabelle"s apartments, but once housing Martin V"s library and palace, contains frescoes by Pinturicchio, Antonio Tempesta, Crescenzio Onofri, Giacinto Gimignani, and Carlo Cesi. It contains a collection of landscapes and genre scenes by painters like Gaspard Dughet, Caspar Van Wittel (Vanvitelli), and Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Along with the possessions of the Doria-Pamphilij and Pallavacini-Rospigliosi families, this is one of the largest private art collections in Rome.

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