Hungarian Academy of Sciences Headquarters - Pecs, Hungary

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The Vasváry Villa, situated on the side of the Mecsek Mountain, now accommodates the territorial committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. György Vasváry, one of the richest merchants of Pécs, had the villa built, originally as a holiday home, in 1884. The look of the building is determined by the features of the north Italian renaissance style, complemented by Hungarian Baroque and Classicist elements. The planner of the stately building was a master from Pécs, Antal Szánthó, who was also responsible for the implementation of the masonry and the carpenter-work. The pyrogranite ceramics ornamenting the building were made in the Zsolnay Porcelain Factory. The south façade of the villa decorated with colourful enamel majolica is a significant value of arts history. In the upper corner of the façade we can see the portrait of György Vasváry and Mária Vasváry-Rüffl, while the central part of it is enriched by rectangular reliefs resembling the four seasons. The inner walls of the building are decorated by no less than 1,296 colour ceramics, according to an Inventory made in the 19th century. The beautiful sight of the park of the villa gives a real peace of mind. The Griffiths, Sphinxes and fountains of the garden were made in the Zsolnay Factory. Among the statues we must mention the glazed ceramics well designed by Ignác Alpár, made as an imitation of the well in Herkulesfürdő (the now Băile Herculane). The villa was nationalised in 1952, as a result of which the larger part of the interior of the building was badly run down after a while. From 1969, however, the real estate was managed by the Pécs Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and so the building and its environment were saved from total destruction. Later, in 1980 and in the 1990s the building was renovated and enlarged.