Levoča Thurzó House
Building, structure
One of the most beautiful decorations of Levoča's main square is the Thurzó House, built in the 15th century and named after the family that built it. The sumptuous palace of the Thurzós in Betlenfalva was created by combining two neighboring houses. The family kept their Levoča house until the 1530s. After they became impoverished because they had many daughters and each had to be given a dowry, they sold the building to wealthy citizens, from whom Count Csáky bought it in 1902. He is responsible for the current sgraffito decoration of the facade, which was painted by students of the Budapest College of Applied Arts in 1904 based on the designs of József Czauczik. The count's generosity is indicated by the fact that he placed the Thurzó coat of arms above the windows and his own below, and that he indicated on the facade that the house was built by the Thurzós, and that he had it renovated. ; Today, the building houses an Archive.