Wedding Palace in Bytča

The Wedding Palace in Bytča is a part of a famous castle area and is considered as one of the most splendid Renaissance buildings in Central Europe. The palace was built by the Hungarian Palatine György Thurzó, who organised family celebrations there, including the weddings of his daughters. It was probably constructed by Italian masters, who were also the creators of Bytča Castle, and the construction was completed in 1601, according to the inscription above the main portal. The façades are lavishly decorated using the sgraffito technique with motifs of people and plants around round windows and the portal. The Wedding Palace is a one-storey building on a rectangular plan. There was a large entrance hall on the ground floor crowned by six cross vaults on two central structural columns. On the sides, there were utility rooms: a kitchen with a store, workshops, and the entrance to the monumental double staircase leading to the upper floor. Below this, there were stairs to the cellar. The whole floor comprised a ball room 34.5 x 12.5 m big.

In the times of the Esterházy family, the palace burnt down in 1647 and was then renovated but only to serve as a utility building to store wood and grain. After another fire in 1856, the building was restored by the Popper family and in 1886 it was transformed into the administrative seat of the local court. Another renovation of the building began after 1960.