Legend whispers of a daring horseman. Count Móric Sándor. They called him the Devil’s Horseman. This is the Sándor-Metternich-kastély. His legendary feats of horsemanship echoed across Europe. Right here before you stands his testament. A magnificent classicist manor.
The Sándor-Metternich-kastély. It wasn’t always this grand. A noble manor stood here centuries ago. The Sándor family acquired it in 1696. They transformed it into the center of their vast estates. Count Menyhért Sándor built a hunting lodge. Count Antal Sándor replaced it with a manor house completed in 1776. A chapel consecrated by Archbishop József Batthyány.
Then came Móric Sándor. Famous throughout Europe for his unmatched horsemanship. To impress his bride Princess Leontine von Metternich. He embarked on an ambitious project. He transformed the manor house into a fifty-nine room palace. He employed the renowned architect József Hild. The result. The stunning two-story building you see today. With its impressive portico and four columns. They say he even jumped from the balcony with his horse a daring feat.
Inside the Sándor-Metternich-kastély. The ground floor housed a billiard room. A dining room. A smoking room. A conservatory. The house chapel. The card room. Upstairs. The count and countess’s bedrooms. The living room. The library. Alessandro Sanquirico designed the opulent interiors. Sky blue and white dominated. Inspired by Etruscan and Pompeian art. Stucco work by Maria Piazza. Paintings of the Sándor family. Hunting trophies. Gilded mirrors. Furniture from London. Wrought iron from Vienna.
After Móric Sándor’s death. His daughter Paulina inherited the estate. She married her uncle Richard von Metternich. They modernized the kitchens. Introduced gas lighting. The last owner. Princess Clementine von Metternich-Sandor. She adopted her grandnephew. He took the name Metternich-Sándor. He lived here until 1940. The Second World War brought devastation. The mansion became a field hospital. Then communist property. It suffered greatly. The interiors were damaged. Furniture stolen.
Years of neglect followed. But hope remained. With European Union funding. The Sándor-Metternich-kastély was restored. The gardens were revitalized. Today. It stands as a testament to its rich history. An interactive exhibition celebrates Móric Sándor and his daughter Pauline. The Devil’s Horseman’s legacy lives on. Within these walls. In this breathtaking palace. The Sándor-Metternich-kastély.