BISHOP'S PALACE (PÜSPÖKI PALOTA)

The Szombathely Episcopal Palace, built in the ^18th century on the initiative of János Szily, the city's first bishop, is a late-Baroque gem by Viennese architect Melchior Hefele. Built in parallel with the cathedral, it symbolizes the religious and cultural renewal initiated by Szily. On the first floor, the sumptuous Sala Terrena, Hungary's first lapidary room, displays frescoes by Stephan Dorfmeister, considered one of the most important religious painters active in Hungary at the end of the ^18th century, illustrating Roman ruins, as well as liturgical and archaeological objects.

A scholar and reformer, Szily also founded Szombathely's first seminary, the cathedral library and several educational and cultural institutions, including the grammar school, a printing house and the Eölbey house. He thus transformed this modest town of 3,000 inhabitants into a major intellectual and spiritual center of Transdanubia.

Today, the Visitor Center of the Bishop's Palace offers visitors the chance to discover the history of the diocese, the noble rooms of the palace and a rich permanent exhibition on the legacy of János Szily. The library, still decorated with original frescoes, provides an exceptional setting for discovery. The whole complex bears witness to the cultural influence of a city which, under Szily's impetus, was able to combine piety and humanism with elegance. Temporary exhibitions and cultural events are regularly held here