Bratislava Castle stands on an isolated rocky hill above the Danube. A stone palace and basilica were added in the 9th century. Under Sigismund a Gothic palace was built between 1431 and 1434, with Konrad von Erlingen as construction master. Ferdinand I had it rebuilt from 1552 to 1562, with Pietro Ferrabosco as main designer.
Early Baroque reconstruction began in 1616 and ended around 1647, mostly funded by Count Paul Pálffy. It gave the castle its four corner towers and a third floor. Maria Theresa converted it into a royal residence from 1761 to 1766. Soldiers caused a fire on May 28, 1811, that gutted it. Restoration began in 1957, and the Crown Tower, 154 feet (47 m) tall, dates from the 13th century.
The Slovak National Museum has held exhibitions here since 1968. The National Council of the Slovak Republic sits in the south wing, and the constitution was signed in the Knights Hall on September 3, 1992.
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