Aspremont Palace: a baroque summer palace in Bratislava
Aspremont Palace (Aspremontov letný palác) is a baroque summer palace at Špitálska 24 in the Old Town of Bratislava, in the Medical Garden near Americké námestie. Built in 1770 for a Belgian-French count, it combines Louis XVI-style decoration with a late baroque chapel and today houses the dean's office of Comenius University's Faculty of Medicine, a graceful stop for anyone exploring Bratislava's quieter corners.
Built in 1770 as a count's summer retreat, this baroque palace changed hands for almost 150 years before the family of a merchant gave it to a university faculty of medicine.
The history of Aspremont Palace
In 1769 Count Johann Nepomuk Gobert d'Aspremont-Lynden bought a garden plot with farm buildings in what were then the suburbs of Bratislava. According to the German-language article, he paid 44,000 Rhenish gulden and 240 imperial gulden. The count came from the Belgian branch of the Aspremont-Lynden family, and the English Wikipedia describes him as a descendant of the famous Hungarian magnate families of Rákóczi and Báthory. In 1770 or 1771 he had the palace built to a design by the architect Johann Joseph Thalherr.
The count did not keep the property for long. Ten years after the building work he sold the estate to the Hungarian magnate family Esterházy, in 1781, for reasons that are not known. Over time the name Aspremont was forgotten, and in Austro-Hungarian times the building was known as the Esterházy or Schiffbeck Palace. In the second half of the 19th century the garden was bought by the Jankovits family, and in 1862 the Bratislava merchant Karol Schiffbeck acquired it for 50,000 gulden. He had flats fitted inside, keeping the existing architecture as far as possible, and turned the property into profitable real estate.
In the 1870s the Hungarian minister of education Ágoston Trefort wanted to buy the palace and park for a medical faculty of a future Bratislava university, partly because of the nearby state hospital, but the asking price of a million gulden ended the plan. When the Royal Hungarian Elisabeth University was founded in 1912, law and philosophy faculties were to be built on Schiffbeck's land, and the medical faculty was planned elsewhere; after the outbreak of the First World War, however, the palace finally became the seat of that faculty.
In 1920 the Schiffbeck family gave the building and the park to the Faculty of Medicine of the newly founded Comenius University, which still uses the property today. The park is now known as the Medical Garden (Medická záhrada). The chapel on the ground floor, a late baroque Chapel of the Crucifixion, was reconstructed and reopened on 20 December 2004. Today the palace houses the dean's office, and the Slovak Wikipedia lists it as a national cultural monument of the Slovak Republic.
Curiosities about Aspremont Palace
- For much of its history the palace was better known as the Esterházy or Schiffbeck Palace than by the name of the count who built it.
- Its décor shows the influence of Louis XVI, with laurel wreaths, ribbon garlands and medallions that are best preserved in the ceremonial hall, which has a wide dome.
- The Altar of the Crucifixion in the palace chapel is made of red and white marble.
- The chapel contains paintings with allegories from the Old and New Testaments, according to English Wikipedia.
- In the 1870s the Hungarian education minister wanted to turn the palace into a medical faculty but was deterred by a price of one million gulden.
- The palace and garden were a gift: in 1920 the Schiffbeck family handed them to the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University.
Tours near Aspremont Palace
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Aspremont Palace
- The main façade faces the Medical Garden, which was laid out in the French style, so the best view of the palace is from the garden.
- According to the German Wikipedia article the palace itself is not open to the public, because it is used by the dean's office; the park is open all year.
- Look for the Louis XVI motifs on the façade and in the interiors, and, if you get a chance to see them, the ceremonial hall and the chapel with its marble altar.
- Other places on this site nearby, all about 1 km away, include the Church of St Elisabeth, the Clarissine Church, Esterházy Palace and Johann Pálffy Palace.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Aspremont Palace is
Photos of Aspremont Palace
Questions
Where is Aspremont Palace in Bratislava?
It stands at Špitálska 24 in the Old Town of Bratislava, in the Medical Garden at the northern end of Špitálska street near Americké námestie.
Who built Aspremont Palace?
Count Johann Nepomuk Gobert d'Aspremont-Lynden had it built around 1770 to a design by the architect Johann Joseph Thalherr, after buying the land in 1769.
What is Aspremont Palace used for today?
It houses the dean's office of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava, to which the Schiffbeck family gave the palace and garden in 1920.
Can you visit Aspremont Palace?
The German Wikipedia states that the palace is not open to the public because the dean's office works there, while the park is open throughout the year. Check the current situation before you go.
Why is it also called Esterházy or Schiffbeck Palace?
The count sold the estate to the Esterházy family in 1781, and in 1862 it was bought by the merchant Karol Schiffbeck, so in later times it was commonly known by those names.
What is special about the palace chapel?
It is a late baroque chapel of the Crucifixion on the ground floor, reconstructed and reopened in December 2004, with an altar of red and white marble.
Also nearby
Summer Archbishop's Palace
Bratislava · archbishops' summer seat that now houses the government
650 m away
Church of St Elisabeth (Blue Church)
Bratislava · the blue Art Nouveau church built like a jewel box
800 m away
Laurinc Gate
Bratislava · vanished medieval gate marked by a hanging portcullis
950 m away
Mirbach Palace
Bratislava · Rococo palace built by a brewer, now a gallery
950 m away