The Festetics Palace in Keszthely is the third Hungarian palace in
size.
Christopher Festetics began the construction of the Festetics
Palacein 1745. The two-storey, U-shaped, 34-room Baroque palace was
rebuilt several times in the 18th and 19th centuries. Between 1769 and
1770 Paul Festetics III, Christopher’s son had the building
reconstructed. The wings were enlarged while the facades remained
unaltered. His son, George Festetics I, started the next major
reconstruction in 1792. He added the southern library wing to the
palace.
Between 1883 and 1887 Tassilo Festetics II had the northern wing
demolished and a new wing built which was joined to the old one by a
turreted central part. Thus, he almost doubled the size of the palace.
The building was covered with a mansard roof, and fitted with central
heating and plumbing. After the modification of the facades and the
interiors, especially the staircases, the palace acquired its present
form.
The building is surrounded by a nature reserve park. The sights in
the park include trees that are hundreds of years old, colourful
flowerbeds, fountains, statues – among them the full-figure bronze
statue of George Festetics I –, the garden pond and the fountain
decorated with lions. The palm house and the former coach house with the
coach exhibition can be found in the park, while the new building of
the hunting exhibition and the historical model railway exhibition is
opposite the back gate of the park.
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