Schloss Esterházy

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 architectural history of the building involves a transition from an actual medieval castle, built for defense, to a palace meant for comfort and ostentatious display.

The moats were removed in the early 19th century,[2] and the architectural style was modified at various points to fit the taste of the times.

Nikolaus II, the spendthrift son of Anton, launched a program to convert the residence into Classical style.

But Prince Nikolaus's funds, ample as they were, did not suffice to complete these renovations; his expenses (maintaining numerous mistresses, paying for the art, supporting the Austrian side in the Napoleonic wars, reviving Haydn's musical establishment), coupled with the severe inflation and economic decline that war brought to Austria, meant that the renovations could never be completed, even by subsequent generations of princes.

In 1945, at the end of the Second World War, a major change was made in the purpose of the palace: it accommodated the office of the Burgenland state government and later the national court for ten years.

The Haydnsaal, originally the large multi-purpose festival and banquet room, is a piece of artwork in itself in the Schloss Esterházy.

Masonry wall openings were provided at both the east and west ends, sealed off by two large alcoves, and served as access ways to the planned opera/theatre wing and gallery section.

The splendid murals and ceiling paintings represent scenes from "Metamorphoses" by the Roman poet and philosopher Apuleius (200 AD).

Worked into the volute medallions featuring grisaille techniques are allegorical female characters symbolising the "Countries of St. Stephen's Crown".

The medallions embellishing the walls (court painter Friedrich Rohde, 1793) portray busts of Hungarian monarchs ranging from Stephen I to Emperor Leopold I.