The 18th Century Residence of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Nagyvárad Cover Image

A nagyváradi római katolikus püspökök 18. századi régi rezidenciája
The 18th Century Residence of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Nagyvárad

Author(s): Mónika Kémenes
Subject(s): Cultural history, Architecture, Social history, 18th Century
Published by: Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület
Keywords: Nagyvárad; bishop’s palace; Baroque; Miklós Csáky; Ádám Patachich; Fortunato de Prati

Summary/Abstract: One of the significant moments of the 18th century reorganising of the Roman Catholic diocese of Nagyvárad (Oradea, RO) was the building of the first bishop’s residence. Bishop Miklós Csáky (1737–1747), differently from his predecessor’s only partly or not at all achieved ideas, built his palace in the New City (“Újváros”), pertaining to the chapter. The one-storey building built with two inner courtyards through the uniting of several houses and plots was created presumably based on chamber architect Fortunato de Prati’s plans or suggestions, between 1737 and 1744, in several phases. Its major expansions took place during Bishop Adam Patachich’s first years, when in the second courtyard, a second floor was built for the Consilium Basilitarum of the Greek Catholic clergy. The activity of the local and foreign craftsmen, who took place in its building and the creating of its interiors can be clearly followed from the available resources. Thus besides the names of stonemasons who arrived under bishop Csáky and those of the Italian stonemasons and German carpenters from Budapest, who were invited under Forgách and Patachich, the names of local craftsmen, who took part in the leading of neighbourhoods also emerge. After the completion of the new baroque bishop’s palace designed by Franz Anton Hillebrandt, the old building gave place to different educational institutions, then workshops. Its demolition took place in 1901, yielding space for the new City Hall. Its appearance and layout can be reconstructed in detail, based on the 18th century drawings of the group of buildings.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: VIII
  • Page Range: 121-141
  • Page Count: 21
  • Language: Hungarian