The first royal residence is said to have been constructed by Bela IV on Castle Hill after the Mongol Invasion of 1241. New sections were added throughout the years by the Angevin Kings. Under the reign of Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387-1437) a much larger Gothic Palace was established. It wasn’t until the reign of King Matthias (1451-1490) that the palace had its golden era and became known as one of the most beautiful palaces in Europe. Nobleman, scholars and Renaissance artists would journey here from all over Europe to see one of the most extravagant, beautiful and important Renaissance buildings of the time. They were also encouraged by the prospect of receiving lavish treatment and hospitality from the king’s second wife, Queen Beatrice.
Despite suffering only minor structural damage during the lengthy period of Turkish occupation, it was completely destroyed by the pan-European Christian army which liberated Buda in 1686. During the early part of the 18th century, work commenced on a much smaller Baroque Palace, although by 1779 its overall size had increased significantly.
Less than a century later, the Palace was damaged again, this time during the 1848-49 War of Independence. The subsequent reconstruction work, which finished in 1904, more than doubled the size of the Palace from the original Gothic structure. Yet this was not the final episode in the Palace's turbulent history.
During World War II the building served as the command post for German occupying forces. In the final months of the war, the advancing Red Army besieged the Palace and, amidst fierce fighting, completely gutted the building. The present post war reconstruction, which includes Baroque and Gothic elements of original features from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, now houses the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest History Museum and the National Széchenyi Library.