The Rhédey Palace, located at the corner of Pieţa Unirii and Napoca Street, has a fascinating history. The building was built in the place where there were four houses of patricians from Cluj.
The palace was created by the Cluj architect Lajos Pákey, who was also the chief architect of the city of Cluj.
The official name of the palace built in an eclectic style derives from the family that has owned it since the beginning of the 18th century.
Moreover, through this name, the history of the building is also linked to the history of the Hungarian theater in Transylvania, through the ballroom donated to the theater.
However, the building was known as the “Chain House” because it was protected with chains on the side facing Fânului Street, where the hay wagons passed.
In that era, today’s Napoca street was called Fânului Street, since the Fânațele Clujului stretched from the area of the Hasdeu complex to near Mănăștur.
In the years 1680-1690 the building was bought by the aristocrat László Székely and renovated by his wife, Sara de Bulușd, daughter of a nobleman, in 1698.
This house also had noble guests, Prince Gabriel Bethlen and the elected prince of Transylvania, Francisc Rákóczi II, who celebrated Easter in April 1706 at the palace.
The construction was unified with three other neighboring houses and a floor was added and the modifications were made by the owner at that time, Rhédey János.
Moreover, the building housed the first Hungarian theater institution in Transylvania, in November 1792.
One of the first cafes in Cluj was opened here, in 1875. In 1899, the building became a report house, with a shop area. Later, it housed the headquarters of the Bank of Industry, the Romanian casino and the first Romanian prefecture office.
During the communist period, the palace was used as the seat of the Cluj Municipal People’s Council. During this period, the building underwent a number of changes, which affected the original appearance.
The CFR Travel Agency operated on the ground floor of this building until the 90s
Tags: story palace center city people Cluj pass day House Chains hosted nobles years
