Chateau Appony

Lore & Background

Apponyi Castle was built up by the Apponyi family in various phases from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. A major addition was the construction in the mid-19th century of a dedicated new wing to host the Apponyi Library following its transfer from Bratislava. The castle was inhabited by a number of members of the family, including Count Lajos Apponyi and his two sons, Gyula and Henrik, the last occupant from the family. Geraldine Apponyi, daughter of Count Gyula, also spent part of her childhood there and kept fond memories of it. In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt visited the Apponyi manor (Chateau Appony), not the castle itself.

Reader's Guide

The castle hosted illustrious visitors, including Theodore Roosevelt in 1910, Josephine Baker, and the Maharaja of Patiala in 1930. It was sold in the late 1930s to the Slezák family and was taken over under Czechoslovakia's Communist regime by an agricultural cooperative, which caused considerable degradation to both the building and the Library. It was acquired by a school in 1970 but renovation projects did not come to fruition. In 2007 it was privatized by the Slovak Ministry of Agriculture. The new owners subsequently restored the property between 2007 and 2011, and rebuilt the Apponyi Library. Apponyi Castle is now a luxury hotel, branded Chateau Appony.

Did You Know?

• Theodore Roosevelt visited the Apponyi manor (Chateau Appony) in 1910, not the castle itself.
• Geraldine Apponyi, later Queen of Albania, spent part of her childhood there.
• The Apponyi Library was moved from Bratislava and housed in a new wing built in the mid-19th century.
• The castle was restored and turned into a luxury hotel between 2007 and 2011.