Little Provost's Palace, Eger

The Little Provost's Palace stands at 4 Kossuth Lajos Street in Eger, one of the notable members of the Baroque building ensemble of the street.

History

The Rococo palace was built by the provost-canon Miklós Androvics in 1758, based on the plans of Mátyás Gerl. Its original mansard roof structure burned down in the 1827 fire, after which it received a tent roof. In 1908 the already very worn wooden shutters were renewed; some were completely reconstructed. In 1980 a comprehensive heritage restoration was carried out on the building, during which further elements were also reconstructed and other additions were made.

On the upper floor is the headquarters of the Hungarian branch of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and the Eger office of the Cultural Heritage Protection Office.

The building

Monument: registry number 1990 (cadastral number: 6573).

Freestanding, attached to the closed row of buildings by garden gates, U‑shaped, single‑storey

building, with a strongly projecting central risalit on the street façade. In the centre of the risalit

above the main cornice a curved tympanum can be seen, the balcony above the gate rests on consoles. The balcony railing and the wrought‑iron window grilles were made by Henrik Fazola.

On the curved side sections of the façade, on the ground floor, a huge stone frame is placed in each alcove; on the frames sit individual putti. The ground‑floor and upper‑floor rooms have vaulted ceilings.

The iron‑coloured building follows a local custom that developed in the courtyard of Bishop Ferenc Barkóczy: from the gate porch, a staircase on the left leads to the upper floor so that a guest descending from a carriage can be received ceremonially. The stone‑railed staircase is also decorated with putti. The ceiling fresco of the upper‑floor ceremonial hall (The Triumph of Virtue over Sin) was painted by János Lukács Kracker in 1774. The walls also have rich painted decorations, and the upper‑floor rooms are adorned with paintings by János Lukács Hutter (1758) and János Lukács Kracker (1774).