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The Turul statue was removed from the site at Buda Castle on Friday. The now-dilapidated artwork was professionally moved with a giant crane and transported to an open-air restoration workshop on Savoy Terrace. Visitors to the Castle can also follow the works in the coming months – Várkapitányság Nonprofit Zrt. Informed MTI.
The Turul statue is one of the defining sights of the Buda Castle district, which has towered over Budapest for nearly 120 years. Gyula Donáth’s work was erected in 1905, at the final stage of the turn-of-the-century construction of Buda Castle, on the corner of the ornate fence of the Habsburg Gate.
Holding the sword in the claws of the enormous bronze work, preparing his wings for flight, he gazes with dignity towards the Danube. The statue representing the legendary bird of Hungarian legends is also prestigious for its size: its height is ten and a half meters, the distance between the ends of the wings is 12 and a half meters. Its stone pedestal is decorated with the coat of arms of historic Hungary.
Although the work survived WWII with various damage, it has since undergone minor repairs, but its condition has deteriorated significantly. It is now being fully restored under the National Hauszmann Program.
Similar to the bronze statues at the recently renovated Matthias Well, specialists perform cleaning and restoration to preserve the patina, repair damage to the bronze surfaces of the Turul, and strengthen the statue’s internal iron frame. The work will be done by specialists in an open-air restoration workshop set up on the Savoy Terrace, and then the monumental work will be embellished and restored to its original location.
The Habsburg Gate, decorative fence, and associated staircase next to the Turul statue were also heavily damaged in WWII. Damage repair was done in the 1970s and 1980s, but the last few decades have also left their mark. Its condition deteriorated greatly, making a complete reform urgent. The stone elements of the Habsburg gate, originally made in Gyula Jungfer’s workshop, are cleaned, cracks and surface defects are repaired, and the ornate wrought iron structure is renewed.
During the works, it is not possible to pass through the Habsburg Gate and the Terrace for Fishermen Children, so a temporary sidewalk will be constructed through which the Savoy Terrace will remain conveniently accessible.
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