Statesmen, poets, artists, socialites and other prominent figures of the 19th and 20th centuries were regulars at the Márványmenyasszony, a historic restaurant in the heart of Krisztinaváros in Buda. As swish new buildings are popping up all over the city like mushrooms, it was perhaps a matter of time before this famous landmark went the way of modernisation.
The story about the
demolition of the Márványmenyasszony
(‘The Marble Bride’) broke after an article was published based on an
interview in Várnegyed magazine – the
mouthpiece of District I – in December. Éva Csány, chief architect of District
I, told the magazine that the new owners of Márványmenyasszony visited her in late
2020 to discuss construction plans – after which they had successfully filed an
application for demolition approval.
The building’s chaotic structure
apparently made it ineligible for historic landmark status and, with the permission
in the investors’ hands, work could start as soon as this year.
At the heart of Márványmenyasszony lies the story of a local winemaker who started selling his own wine at this famous Buda spot in 1793. Count István Széchenyi and Miklós Wesselényi numbered among other statesmen who held their weddings at this renowned venue, where regulars included illustrious Hungarian writers such as Endre Ady and Zsigmond Móricz.
In 2017, the Castle District Council put Márványmenyasszony on their own list of local heritage places, among other iconic sites like the intricate Buda cave system or the monumental castle walls protecting the Buda Palace complex. The historic event and wedding venue was as popular as ever in the past few years but a change of ownership in November 2020 resulted in its permanent closure.
It was reported that application for the venue’s demolition had been filed under an alteration request, meaning that the restaurant would only be partially demolished and – contrary to rumour – not completely destroyed.
The granted permission revealed that the new
investor will have to preserve the single-storey, street-front part of the iconic
building, but the chestnut trees in the courtyard will have to be felled due to
safety reasons.
The surviving part of Márványmenyasszony will be renovated and
later continue to operate as an event venue and restaurant.
