Archbishop's Palace

The Bishopric of Košice was founded by King Francis I, with papal approval, in 1804. Its territory was carved out of the former Abaúj, Zemplén and Sáros counties, from the territory of the Bishopric of Eger. Its cathedral became the Košice Cathedral. In 1995, Pope John Paul II, during his visit to Košice, elevated the bishopric to the rank of archbishop. ; The Košice episcopal residence was built in the Western Wall of the main square, in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, by purchasing the medieval town houses standing here. First, in 1804, the Csáky and Sztáray houses were united, and then in 1893, the Gering house, adjacent to the south, was attached to the building, forming its current facade. This is how the unified, late Baroque facade was created. The stone-framed main gate stands in its central axis, above which rises the wrought-iron lattice balcony of the first-floor residence, standing on columns. On the gable above the main cornice in the axis of the gate, the coat of arms of Bishop Antal Ocskay, carved in stone, can be seen. ; Several prominent personalities have stayed in this house, including Archduke Stephen, Kings Franz Joseph I and Charles IV, and in 1995 Pope John Paul II.