Sándor Palace, Budapest
| Sándor Palace | |
|---|---|
Southeastern façade of the palace
|
|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | neoclassicism |
| Location | Szent György tér Budapest, Hungary |
| Coordinates | 47°29′52″N 19°02′16″E / 47.4978°N 19.0378°ECoordinates: 47°29′52″N 19°02′16″E / 47.4978°N 19.0378°E |
| Construction started | around 1803 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Mihály Pollack and Johann Aman |
The Sándor Palace ("Alexander Palace", Hungarian: Sándor-palota) is located in Budapest, Hungary.
It is the official residence of the President of Hungary, and the seat of the Office of the President. It has served as both since 2003. Sándor Palace is the 37th biggest palace in present-day Hungary.
The palace is situated at Szent György tér 1-2 (St. George Square) in Buda, immediately north of the Buda Castle complex, which was the former residence of the kings and governors of Hungary.
The original Neoclassical style palace was begun about 1803, and completed about 1806. Count Vincent Sándor commissioned it, and it was named after him. Count Vincent Sándor was a philosopher and aristocrat in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His son Móric Sándor was better known in Budapest and Vienna, from fame for acrobatic jousts.
The palace then next belonged to Archduke Albrecht, the Imperial Governor of Hungary, until the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1848. After that the palace and its adjacent buildings facing the square were rented as government offices.
The most prestigious tenant was the Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Andrássy, who in 1867 leased it for the Hungarian government from the Pallavicini family. He would later obtain ownership of the palace following a property swap.
Andrassy renovated the building, which by then was badly in need of repair, with the help of the architect Miklós Ybl. He renovated the ground floor and used it as his offices, while the first floor became his residence.
In all, nineteen Hungarian Prime Ministers have lived in the palace, each adapting the building to their own tastes.
After Hungary became independent in 1919, Sándor Palace continued as the Prime Minister's residence until World War II. In 1941, during the war, the grief-stricken Pál Teleki committed suicide in the palace.
...
Wikipedia