A Keszthely renaissance

A chance for reconstructing the Festetics Castle Garden

Authors

  • Imre Jámbor Corvinus University of Budapest, Researchstudio for Sustainable Urban Landscape
  • Ákos Bede-Fazekas Corvinus University of Budapest, Department for Garden Art
  • Gábor Böhm Corvinus University of Budapest, Department of Garden and Open Space Design
  • Zsófia Gabriella Szabó Corvinus University of Budapest, Researchstudio for Sustainable Urban Landscape

Keywords:

reconstruction, castle park, scales, protection, site, spatial link, landscape park

Abstract

The Festetics castle, one of the most important historic legacies of Hungarian architecture, suffered a great loss of its values after the Second World War - when a large part of the garden was occupied first by the Soviet Army, than by Hungarian troops. The 35-hectare English garden was divided into two parts by a huge protecting wall. In 1986 the 28 hectare area in military use was even more drastically cut off from the already reconstructed castle garden by a main road built by the local municipality. The road construction went on with destroying a large section of the park, and cutting down many valuable, old trees. At that point the former Horticultural University (today Corvinus University of Budapest) was asked as an external expert by the Helikon Palace Museum for a professional assessment of the impacts of the newly constructed road on the park and its probable consequences.
The management of the Castle Museum filed a suit for the recovery of the territory. The case lasted for 15 years, and in the meantime, in 1993, the military left the area. Eventually, the court’s verdict stated that the road was built illegally and can be demolished, and the management can oblige the road constructers to recreate the original State of the park. As the road will be torn up, the 28-hectare neglected part and the 7-hectare reconstructed part that is open for the public can be reunited. As a result of the reconstruction, the balance and proportions between the castle and the park can come into existence again. The garden reached its most valuable and mature form under the ownership of II. Tasziló Festetics, who commissioned well-known English landscape architect Henry Ernest Milner to design the garden of his estate. To reconstruct the garden on the basis of this original
plan, it was necessary to clean the territory that was used by the military. Furthermore, the plant compositions, the spatial structures and the garden roads also need to be reconstructed to allow the reunion of the two elements.

Author Biographies

  • Imre Jámbor, Corvinus University of Budapest, Researchstudio for Sustainable Urban Landscape

    professor
    E-mail: imre.jambor@uni-corvinus.hu

  • Ákos Bede-Fazekas, Corvinus University of Budapest, Department for Garden Art

    landscape architect student
    E-mail: bfakos@gmail.com

  • Gábor Böhm, Corvinus University of Budapest, Department of Garden and Open Space Design

    landscape architect student
    E-mail: bohmgab@t-online.hu

  • Zsófia Gabriella Szabó, Corvinus University of Budapest, Researchstudio for Sustainable Urban Landscape

    landscape architect student
    E-mail: zsofka.szabo@gmail.com

References

Alföldy G: A keszthelyi Festetics-kastélypark rövid története In: Királyi és hercegi kertek Magyarországon, Mágus Kiadó, Bp. 1971.

Baloghné Ormos I.-Jámbor I.: Szakvélemény a keszthelyi volt Festetics kastélypark területén átvezető forgalmi út környezeti hatásairól Kertészeti és Élelmiszeripari Egyetem, Táj- és Kertépítészeti Tanszék, kézirat, Bp., 1986.

Csepely-Knorr L.: A keszthelyi kastélypark építéstörténete, történeti és florisztikai jelentőségének értékelése kézirat Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, Kert- és Szabadtértervezési Tanszék, Bp. 2009.

Fatsar K: Magyarországi barokk kertművészet (132-137 o.). Helikon Kiadó, Bp. 2008.

Fekete Cs.-Csákváriné Magony R.: Keszthely, a volt Festetics kastély műemlékké nyilvánításának idején érvényes telekviszonyok rekonstrukciója és az érvényes védett utódingatlanok meghatározása kézirat, Bp., 2009.

Péczely P.: A keszthelyi Festetics kastély és belső berendezése Bp., 1958. ill. újabb kiadások 1962,1964

Published

2009-08-01

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

A Keszthely renaissance: A chance for reconstructing the Festetics Castle Garden. (2009). 4D Journal of Landscape Architecture and Garden Art, 15, 27-33. https://journal.uni-mate.hu/index.php/4D/article/view/5870

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