Várpalota (Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈvaːrpɒlotɒ]; German: Burgschloß) is a town in Western
Hungary, in the Transdanubian county of
Veszprém. It was a
mining town during the
Socialist era, but the mines have been closed. Most of the citizens work in the nearby cities,
Veszprém or
Székesfehérvár.
History
The town's origins are linked to the
Roman and
Avar periods, as testified verified by
burial mounds, tombstones and Roman artifacts in the outskirts of the town, some of which can be found in the lapidary of
Thury Castle.
In the Middle Ages it was a flourishing market town. In the 20th century it became a center for coal mining.
Main sights
The Thury castle, located in the heart of the town. It was commanded, among the others, by
György Thury. It is currently home to the Museum of
Chemistry, and the collection of the memories of
coal mining. Concerts and theatre performances are held there every summer.
The old Catholic church, home to
Romanesque and early-
Gothicfrescos in a particularly good condition. One of the World War I memorials erected in those days and destroyed in the tempests of the history can be found here.
Jó Szerencsét (Good Luck) Community Centre, which houses four large-sized
Gobelin works of
Noémi Ferenczy. The one-man exhibition of
Frigyes Matzon, one of the significant representatives of
constructivism can be visited in the nearby Nagy Gyula Gallery, which was converted from a
synagogue.
Baroque Reformed church with its irregularly arched western façade. It was built on the walls of the formerly Hussar Castle. It houses the memorial plaque of
Mária Molnár.
Zichy Castle. The library-room with its wooden cover and its
frescos recalling mythological ages, is a regular place of cultural events. It also includes the Zichy-Chapel and the altar carved from sandstone in the Catholic cemetery. Among the graves are the memorial of militiaman
martyrs of the
Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence belonging to the earl's family.
Memorials of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence in 1848–49, of the World War heroes and victims, of the heroes of
Revolution in 1956.