Hear the echoes of Hungarian kings. This is Nyék a district in Budapest. Nyék whispers tales of royalty and hunts.
Once, this land was a village. The Nyék clan gave it their name. Today, Nyék is part of Budapest’s 2nd district. It sits on the northern side of the deep valley of the Ördög-árok.
In the 1500s King Matthias built a palace here. King Ulászló II later used it too. It was a royal hunting lodge. Matthias also had a game park. Imagine the royal hunts.
King Sigismund von Luxemburg built a small castle in the early 1400s. Later, King Matthias Hunyadi expanded it. His wife Beatrix Aragonese brought Renaissance culture. King Ladislav Jagello II transformed it. He made it a Renaissance hunting palace in 1502. It was for his wedding to Foix Cadelei Anna. The palace style resembled the Medici’s Palace. But Nyék’s palace finished earlier.
After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the Turks invaded. They plundered and demolished the hunting palace. King Ferdinand Habsburg moved his court to Prague. His wife Anna requested a similar palace. That is why Belvedere Palace was built in Prague.
In 1847, Gábor Döbrentei renamed the southern part of the Ördög-árok valley. He called it Lipótmező. It was a German translation of Leopoldfeld. But this did not change the name Nyék.
The ruins of the old village church were found in 1932. An inn and major called Lipótmezei opened in 1820. It stood at the corner of Szalonka út and Párfány út.
The area of Nyék represents Hungarian history. One of the Hungarian tribes in the 9th century was the Nyék tribe. Kings and convents preferred this area.
Around the castle, Matthias had a wildlife park. It had a stone fence about 15 km long. Chimenti Camicia likely designed it. Nobles visited and were amazed. Bonfini wrote about the castle and wildlife park.
Hungarian hunting was unique. Hunters used arrows, spears, horses, dogs, and falcons. They enjoyed tasty dishes blending Hungarian and Italian cuisine. Wildlife parks like Nyék’s were for the richest rulers.
After Matthias’ death, his wife Beatrix wanted the throne. But Hungarian nobles chose Ulászló II. Ulászló married Beatrix to remain in court. They secretly married in Esztergom castle. But Ulászló left after the ceremony.
King Ulászló transformed Nyék into a Renaissance palace for his 1502 wedding. It had two buildings. One was a residence. The other was an amusement palace for guests. Anna ordered woven tapestries now in New York’s Metropolitan Museum.
Lorenzo Medici built a Renaissance villa in Poggio a Caiano. Nyék’s hunting castle followed a similar design. It had two one-story buildings. One was for the royal couple. The other was for guests. The buildings framed a Renaissance garden. A lake mirrored white pillars.
After Ulászló’s death, the Turks attacked in 1526. They looted Buda-Nyék. The buildings fell into ruin. Ferdinand Habsburg moved his court to Prague. Anna wanted a palace like Buda-Nyék. This led to Prague’s Belvedere Palace.
In 1930, Sándor Garády found the palace ruins. He found walls of Ulászló’s palace. He also found ruins of the amusement palace. Northwest, he found the old church. Garády collected carved stones.
Garády died in 1944. His notes became the main source. After World War II, the area was built over. The lake was filled. In 1957, the ruins were conserved. But protection lacked money.
In 1989, a civil initiative cleaned the area. The ruins were conserved again. In 2018, the Nyék-Kurucles Egyesület commemorated King Matthias. They presented the palace history. There were hunting demonstrations. A choir sang Renaissance songs.
Today, the area is closed. There are plans for archaeological excavation. The aim is conservation and reconstruction. The Nyék-Kurucles Egyesület supports this.
Remember Nyék. It is a piece of Hungarian history. Kings walked here. Palaces stood here. Now, only ruins remain. But the stories linger.