THE LAND OF QUEEN ELISABETH - Part 2

Reconstructions and alternations for the comfort of the royal family 

 

By the time the royal family got the estate, it had already been in quite a poor condition due to the lack of money and care during the previous few decades. In Gödöllő, each reconstruction and alternation of the buildings were carried out in accordance with Elisabeth’s will. 

 

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Reconstructions and alternations for the comfort of the royal family 

By the time the royal family got the estate, it had already been in quite a poor condition due to the lack of money and care during the previous few decades. Since the Queen was a horse-lover and an excellent horsewoman, it was obvious that the reconstruction and expansion of the riding hall was essential. With the expansion, its size reached the one and a half thousand square meters. A marble stable and a new carriage house was also built then. New greenhouses and a palm house were established in the large park, which was opened to the public people whenever the royal family was not staying in Gödöllő.

 

 

In Gödöllő, each reconstruction and alternation of the buildings were carried out in accordance with Elisabeth’s will. The heating system of the palace was modernized, which was particularly significant to the Queen since she had many problems with the heating system in her suites in the Imperial city, especially in Hofburg, where the family spent the winter period. Sisi complained a lot about the cold rooms, which were heated by ornate Baroque and Rococo stoves made and installed in the eighteenth century. Later more improvements were made, due to one of them the gas lighting was established in the rooms of the palace in 1874, in addition, the heating was supported by heat-air system in several rooms.

 

The royal family was accompanied by a large number of people, and in order to accommodate them a lot of rooms were needed. Unfortunately, the Baroque theatre built in 1780 during the Grassalkovich period had to be divided into more floors in order to locate several rooms there. The unique Baroque private theatre was rehabilitated in 2003, and today it hosts a great variety of programmes. There used to be a flower house and a Baroque bath on the opposite wing of the palace (opposite the former theatre). Instead of them a pharmacy and guest rooms were built.

 

The reconstruction and alternation of the royal period resulted the followings: 136 rooms were available, in addition, 24 more ones in the stable wing. Altogether 103 rooms were used for accommodation, of which 67 belonged to the stuff! As many maids and servants did not have their own rooms and had to share the room with others, this number can make us suspect how big the household of the royal family was. 

 

It can be noted that Elisabeth’ s hairdresser, Franziska Feifalik’s (Angerer) (photo on the right) suite was in the above mentioned wing, where the former Baroque theatre used to be (and now after rehabilitated in 2003). Franziska had prepared the most famous actors’ hairdo before Elisabeth heard about the talented lady. Her own hair was so important to Sisi that a pretty nice amount of salary was paid to Franziska, who, then only did the Queen’s fabulous “crown hair”.

 

To be continued - Click here: 

ELISABETH’S SUITE AND THE DAILY LIFE OF THE ROYAL FAMILY IN GÖDÖLLŐ

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