Across the street from the Hungarian National Museum gardens, Ádám Palace at Bródy Sándor 4 is an imposing building some 140 years old, constructed while this section of Budapest’s District VIII was the poshest part of town. The centerpiece of the building’s grand façade is a tall balcony flanked by columns and brought alive with several beautiful but largely forgotten frescoes by renowned 19th-century painter Károly Lotz, whose works also adorn the Hungarian State Opera House, St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Parliament, and several other Budapest landmarks.
The section of Ádám Palace that includes this balcony is the headquarters for Budapest’s Hungarian Language School, and about six months ago they launched the freshly completed restoration works. Although the subjects of the paintings are undeniably lovely – including romantic scenes and frolicking maidens alongside holy men and a soldier – their inspiration for Lotz is unfortunately lost to history. Hungarian Language School staff did some research to learn more about these frescoes, but were unable to dig up any background info.
Nonetheless, the restoration of these Renaissance-style Lotz works adds even more aesthetic appeal to this stately stretch of Bródy Sándor Street, which is also home to the Italian Institute of Culture – occupying the building that served as Hungary’s first Parliament – and the Brody House boutique hotel.
Anyone who would like to see these touched-up Lotz paintings can visit the Hungarian Language School, which occupies an impressive apartment full of original 19th-century fixtures like a hand-carved wooden spiral staircase and an ornately decorated ceiling of interconnected beams. This edifying environment is ideal for taking Hungarian-language classes, and new courses begin on November 6th – check out the Hungarian Language School website for more details.
