Zoltán Opauszki, the president of the Békéscsaba Tourist Association, opened the meeting and greeted the guests.
In his report, Dr. Zsolt Virág, the managing director of Magyar Kastélyprogram Kft., touched on what happened in the past year in the field of manor houses and smaller castles. He emphasized that until now the priority was mainly to renovate the larger castles, and these were given priority. He presented that a total of 9 manors and small castles were handed over in the past year, or will be handed over in the next few months, the quantity and quality of which were unusual until now. After that, he also explained the history of Rákóczy Castle in Tolcsva.
Impressive Munkácsy paintings can also be found in Karcag
Tibor Szepesi, the mayor of Karcag, reported on the Munkácsy exhibition, which is located in their town and can be visited. Imre Pákh’s entire career as a painter can be seen through works of art selected from his private collection, from his youthful drawings to his mature works, portraits, landscapes, and salon pictures to his late works. In addition to the impressive paintings, the exhibition material also includes unique graphic sheets, albums, and sketches, which can be used to accompany Mihály Munkácsy’s special art. Thanks to the Munkácsy foundation, they were able to present this collection, moreover, in a building that was recently built. The Karcag Kincse Art and Conference Center was created by the reconstruction of the Hungarian pavilion of the 2015 Milan World Exhibition thanks to a tender. With its unique design, the five-story building is nationally outstanding and is considered a work of modern architectural art. The Munkácsy exhibition is the very first event in the building.
The Master plays a leading role in the meeting
Historian-archivist Zsuzsanna Gálffy spoke about the gastronomy of Munkácsy’s time, his visit to Budapest, and the French influences on Hungarian gastronomy. He said that Munkácsy also painted kitchen-themed pictures. However, not one that specifically shows the cooking processes. When Munkácsy visited Hungary in 1882, he had already lived in Paris for a long time. The French influence was characteristic of the individual receptions and banquets given in his honor. So French cuisine presented its culture and how it is connected to Hungarian gastronomy.
