The Palace dominates the southern end of Castle Hill. First, King BΘla IV had a castle built here for his court in the 13th century. The huge gothic Palace that was famous all over Europe was extended during the reign of King Zsigmond. It was soon rebuilt into a renaissance building under the ruling of Mßtyßs Hunyadi (1458-1490). During the Turkish occupation (1541-1686) its furniture and fittings were plundered by the Turks. The castle was seriously damaged in 1686 when Buda was recaptured by the Hungarians in a long lasting cannonade when an ammunition magazine exploded. Between 1714-23 a new and smaller palace was built, whereas during the reign of Maria Theresa a bigger one of 230 rooms was erected. In 1890 it was again enlarged based on the plans of Mikl≤s Ybl. After his death Alajos Hauszmann completed the work and he lengthened the wing facing the Danube in a neo-baroque style. The construction work was finished in 1903. The whole castle burnt down in 1945 and the reconstructions started again in 1950. The National SzΘchenyi Library is housed in the west wing of the castle now, while the National Gallery and the Budapest Museum of History can be found in the east wing.
