Esterháza

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Esterháza is a famous palace built in Fertőd, Hungary during the years 1763-1766 by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Sometimes called the "Hungarian Versailles," it is Hungary's grandest Rococo monument.

Aerial photography: The Eszterházy Castle - Fertőd - Hungary

1 Rooms
2 Haydn at Esterháza
3 Picture gallery
- 3.1 Eszterházy Treasure
4 Notes
5 Books
6 See also

[edit] Rooms

The palace, which has 126 rooms, was the creation of one of the most influential Hungarian aristocrats of his day. Inside the Prince had the best architects design the most lavish rooms in the country. Of particular note is the Banquet Room which has on its ceiling a painting of Apollo in his Chariot. The large library holds almost 22,000 volumes and is graced with the letter 'E', standing for the family surname. The largest room is the grotto-like Sala Terrana which was inspired by the then fashionable Italianate style. On the ceiling are dancing Angels who hold wreathes of flowers in the shape of an 'E'.

[edit] Haydn at Esterháza

During its first quarter century, the palace was the primary home of the celebrated composer Joseph Haydn, who wrote the majority of his symphonies for the Prince's orchestra. Prince Nikolaus also built a large theater there, as well as a smaller theater for marionette operas. Starting in the early 1770's the theater was a major venue for opera, often with more than a hundred performances per year.^[1]

The palace was geographically isolated, a factor which led to loneliness and tedium among the musicians. This is seen in some of Haydn's letters, as well as in the famous tale of the Farewell Symphony|.