THE OLD SPIRIT OF THE BUILDING REKINDLED
The Pistori Palace was built in the 1890s by Felix Pisztory, a known pharmacist in Bratislava. At that time, the street was just an emerging city street towards the Hungarian Royal Railway. Pisztory had a garden behind the palace, in which he cultivated medicinal herbs. Now, it is declared a national cultural monument.
Most of the original equipment has been preserved and can still be seen today – a wrought-iron gate, an artistic railing, a balustrade, crystal chandeliers, a mosaic floor in the staircase hall and rich stucco decoration on the ceiling. In 2005, the palace fell into shambles after many years. Six years later, the district began to transform the palace into a cultural centre.
In 2015, the Bratislava-Staré Mesto district decided to reconstruct the palace by repairing the roof, renewing the facades, reconstructing the boiler room and renovating the windows. Several non-profit organisations also operate in the palace, including Film Europe, a unique cinema.
The cinema within the Pistori Palace and its 1950s-inspired charm
The Pistori palace, since its extensive renovation as a centre of culture, serves as a cultural space with its unique program, but also as a space for cultural and social events. Here, theatre events, workshops and seminars regularly take place. One of the most resounding events held here recently is the Fashion Map Weekend. Find out more about the one-of-a-kind event here.
The Pistori Palace is a haven for film lovers, represented by Film Europe Media Company, which operates a renovated and digitized cinema hall with 99 seats in the basement of the palace.
The Film Europe company focuses exclusively on the distribution of high-quality European cinematography and annually brings news from international festivals and award-winning films in the form of three film festivals such as SCANDI, CREME de la CREME and BE2CAN, as well as a month-long daily film screening.
The project has helped to enhance the allure of this historically valuable site located in the centre of Slovakia’s capital on Štefánikova street and Palisády, in the vicinity of the main railway station. Thus, another intriguing space awaits meeting planners in the incredibly diverse and lively Slovakian capital.
