Archbishop's Winter Pallace

Open daily (except Monday) : 10:00 - 17:00

Architecture

Built on the site of trading centre of the Middle Ages belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Archbishop. It is thought by many to be the most beautiful Classical Building in Slovakia. It was built from 1778 to 1781 according to a design by the Vienneese architect M. Heffel for Archbishop Cardinal J. Bathany. The pallace is decorated with allegorical sculptures by J. Kogler and F. Prokop and decorative vases by J. A. Messerschmidt. At the top of the central section of the palace can be seen the family sheild of the builder - a green (Cardinal's hat) with diameter 180cm and weighing 150kg. There is also a mosaic by E. Zmetak which is a copy of the original fresco by A. F. Maulbertscha. The sculptures of angels on the faccade hold the first letter of Cardinal Bathany's personal motto "Justice" (Justitia) and "Mercy" (Clementia). In the entrance to the pallace on the right hand side there is a memorial tablet commemorating the so-called Bratislava peace of 1805. In the courtyard stands the Renaissance St. George's Fountain from the middle of the 17th century. From the courtyard there is also the entrance to the chapel of St. Ladislav.

History

The most beautiful room in the pallace is located on the first floor - the so called "Hall of Mirrors". Here on the 26th December 1805 the French Minister for Foreign Affairs M. Talleyrand and the Habsburg prince J. Lichtenstein met to sign the Bratislava Peace after the battle of Slavkove. On the 11th of April 1848, also in this room, Ferdinand V signed the law ending feudalism in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the rooms on the first floor there is part of the collection of the gallery of the Capital City of The Slovak Republic. This includes a series of six tapsteries from the middle of the 17th century depicting the ancient Greek legend about the love of Hero and Leandra. These were made in the English town of Mortlake near London. The rooms where the tapesteries are hung are usually open to the public although they are occassionally closed as the mayor of Bratislava welcomes official hosts to Bratislava in these rooms.

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