This is a short feature on Budavar which is twinned with Marlow. By Harry Walton
IF bridges ever linked two sites then it has to be Marlow and its twin town Budavar in Budapest.
They have only been officially twinned since November 2007, but the connection is much older than that and all the work of brilliant 19th century engineer Tierney (correct) Clark.
He designed four remarkable chain bridges, the first of which went up in 1827 over the River Thames at Hammersmith in West London.
The second, also over the Thames, was built five years later in 1832 at Marlow while the third was built in 1834 over the River Adur at Shoreham in Sussex.
Fifteen years were to pass before the fourth bridge appeared in 1849 over the River Danube in Budapest, linking Budavar with Pest for the first time.
Only the Marlow and Budapest bridges remain and this shared bridge heritage is the reason for the twinning link.
The district of Budavar is no stranger to the ravages of war both ancient and modern.
Castle Hill, dating back to the 13th century, was where the royal castle originally stood.
The oldest part of the present day palace was built in the 14th century, but when the medieval Kingdom of Hungary collapsed and the Ottomans occupied Buda in 1541 the new Ottoman government left the palace decaying and largely empty although it was variously used for barracks, storage and even as stables.
That medieval palace was destroyed in 1686 when Buda was captured by Christian forces, many buildings being destroyed in the bombardment.
In 1715 King Charles III ordered the ruins to be demolished, but luckily the southern fortifications and other sections including various rooms were only buried under tons of earth and rubbish.
A splendid baroque palace was built, but in 1849 the Hungarian revolutionary army laid siege to Buda Castle and the palace was completely burned out although it was rebuilt by 1856.
Buda Castle was the last major strongpoint held by Axis forces during the Second World War siege of Budapest from December 1944-February 1945 and the palace was again reduced to ruins.
Immediately after the war archaeological research was begun to unearth the remains of the medieval castle and a grand scale reconstruction was started.
Buda Castle became a cultural centre with three museums and the palace was later rebuilt in the 1960s although its interior spaces were not completed until the 1980s.
Buda Castle now houses the National Hungarian Art Gallery and the Budapest Museum.
Also on the hill are St Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion and other small museums while the views from this area are some of the best in the city.
CONTACTS:
Marlow-Budavar Town Twinning Association: www.marlow-budavar.info.