Discover ancient ceiling paintings in Veszprém Castle Quarter: centuries-old art unveiled

Ceiling murals dating back to the late 1800s were discovered during the restoration of the canonical buildings in the castle quarter of Veszprém. The former chapel of the Small Seminary (Kisszeminárium), also in the castle quarter, was found.

Several rooms on the floor of the Canon’s House (Kanonoki Ház) also contain 19th-century ceiling paintings in a historicist, partly neo-Renaissance style reminiscent of previous periods.

The identity of the artist is not known, but the paintings are all non-figurative and will make a very impressive display when fully restored, experts said.

Hundreds of years old ceiling paintings found in the castle quarter of Veszprém. Photo: Lajos Nagy

Also on the canonry line in the castle is the late Baroque-style Small Seminary, dating from 1770. One of the rooms in the building, designed by Jakab Fellner, concealed a walled niche with an inscription on the back wall from 1797, signed by the master at the time.

The recently discovered wall seat may have been part of an earlier altar, which was later walled up. Only during the 2022-2023 excavations was it confirmed that this was a particularly richly painted room, which will be restored to its original splendour by 2025.