The palace's construction, started by Kristóf Festetics in 1745, lasted more than a century. During this time, the palace, built at first on the foundations of a ruined castle, was tripled in size in two subsequent building campaigns, most recently in the 1880s, to designs by Viktor Rumpelmayer, living in Vienna.
When Rumpelmayer died in 1885, the work was carried to completion by architects Gusztáv Haas and Miksa Paschkisch.[1] The result is one of the three largest country houses in Hungary.
The palace's library wing was built by Count György Festetics in 1799–1801, with guidance from András Fischer of the Vienna Academy. Execution was entrusted to local artisans. The dining room (now a concert hall) has stucco decor by Mátyás Vathner from the town of Pápa. Stonework was executed by the local mason József Zitterbart, locksmithing by a local master craftsman, József Dobrolán, tiled stoves by József Pittermann and inlaid floors and woodwork by master carpenter János Kerbl, who was also responsible for the fittings in the library.
The book collection was made available to students of the Georgikon.
The central axis of the garden front is centered on one pavilion of the corps de logis,[2] rather than on the prominent central tower of the extension built in the 1880s, with prominent mansard roofs and richly framed dormer windows typical of the neo-Baroque French Second Empire style, and neo-Renaissance woodwork in some of the interiors. On the entrance side facing the town, the axis remains centered on the original baroque structure, now a flanking wing.
Prince Tasziló Festetics died in possession of the palace on 4 May 1933, and unlike the surrounding area it was not damaged during the Second World War. The property continued to belong to the Festetics family until it was nationalized by the Communists in 1949.[5]
Recent history
Since 1974, the palace has housed the independent Helikon Palace Museum; it is visited by 200,000 people each year.
The great book collection remaining in the palace is the only substantial aristocratic library now surviving in Hungary. Portraits of the Festetics family, including some in tartans, are also still in the palace. The stable block now houses a collection of coaches and carriages. Open-air concerts are held in the grounds during the summer.
From November 2019 until March 2020, the palace was the main filming location for the 'Little Palace' setting of the fantasy Netflix series Shadow and Bone.
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The House of Festetics or Feštetić is the name of a historic noble family which dates back to 15th century and 1566 of Hungarian counts and princes of Croatian origin. A prominent family during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they are mostly known for the baroque Festetics Palace and the Viennese Prince Tasziló Festetics.
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Viktor Rumpelmayer was a 19th-century Austro-Hungarian architect, whose style was a combination of French and Italian influences and the Viennese trends characteristic for the period. He is regarded as one of the most eminent Central European architects of his time.
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Prince Tasziló Festetics de Tolna was a member of the Hungarian noble family of Festetics.
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Feštetić Castle is a castle in Pribislavec, a village next to the town of Čakovec, northern Croatia.
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Feštetić may refer to:
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