Text: Jaromír Andrýsek
When I visited the fair in Bytča, I decided to look at the local castle. Its tower can be seen from the square where the local market is held every year. I made my way towards the tower along the canal that runs through the square to the local castle.
Before I entered the castle grounds, the local synagogue caught my attention. It stands opposite the castle gate, a truly significant location for a building that is now completely derelict. But let’s enter together into the area where, next to the Renaissance castle, stands a classical farm building, the old post office and the wedding palace, the most important work of Renaissance architecture in Slovakia.
I was surprised to find that the “Wedding Palace” ranks among Central European jewels, so I did not hesitate to enter the building, which has been completely renovated thanks to European funds. The building has a rich sgraffito decoration. It is a two-storey block building with a rectangular plan and a low hipped roof. The visitor is immediately struck by the purpose for which it was built. The Hungarian palatine Juraj VII. Turzo (1567-1616) had it built for the wedding receptions of his six daughters. Hence the name of the palace – wedding palace. To build a palace next to a castle for this purpose is a unique event in Central Europe.
The Turz family had a high social status and cultural level. All Juraj Turz’s children received the best education at that time. His family was everything to him, as can be seen from the family correspondence preserved in the archives of the local castle. He wrote letters frequently and messengers had to deliver them as soon as possible. He always asked about the health of his wife and children. There was a home school at the chateau. Juraj Turz’s son also studied at the University of Wittenberg and became an honorary rector of the university.
But let’s go back to the hall itself. Its dimensions of 34.5 x 12.5 metres made it a unique building in its time. After the renovation, it was given a new wooden ceiling, and the walls are richly decorated with sgraffito. Above the entrance to the hall is a space for musicians. For example, during the wedding of Turzo’s daughter Barbara, which lasted for a whole week, 2881 guests took turns in the wedding palace. All of them belonged to important noble families or held secular or ecclesiastical offices. To today’s observer, almost unimaginable. Only three weddings took place in the hall this year. This is not for lack of interest, but rather because of the dates, as various exhibitions and social events are held in the hall from May to October. If you can avoid the exposition season with your wedding date, you can rent the hall. So, if you’re looking for a suitable venue for your wedding, don’t hesitate. However, if you just want to have a nice trip and listen to an insider’s commentary, then don’t hesitate, full admission is only €4.
