The Banffy Palace

The Palace, built in the 18th century by the nobiliary Bánffys, is representative for the Transylvanian baroque. Designed by the Sibiu-born architect Johann Eberhard Blaumann, the building surrounds a spacious inner yard.

Above the gate, on the façade decorated with rococo elements, we can find the family coat-of-arms, from which the communists removed the crown of the heraldic griffon. The small statues on the building, sculpted by Anton Schuhbauer, represent characters from the Greek mythology: Mars, Minerva, Apollo, Diana, Hercules, Perseus. The back entry is guarded by two heraldic griffons.

In the decades after György Bánffy’s death, the palace became the headquarters of the Transylvanian governor. When visiting the city, several emperors – including Francis I and Franz Joseph of Habsburg – were accommodated here. The Hungarian composer Franz Liszt performed concerts in the rooms of the palace. Later, for a period, the national Casina set up its headquarters here.