Radó Dezső: Parks and Forests - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)

The construction of the Franciscan cloister started in 1270. Both the church and the monastery indicate that this was a site of peace and tranquility during the 13th and 14th centuries. It was accessible by boat only, as the Roman pile bridge had long vanished.

During the Turkish occupation a harem was established on the island. As Mór Jókai wrote in his novel “Turkish Times in Hungary", anybody who dared to approach the island risked his life. The Turks abandoned the island at the end of the 17th century, demolishing everything and ruining the buildings before they left. The Franciscan monastery proved to be the most lasting. It was rebuilt as a summer house for Palatine Joseph in the 18th century.

The Palatine was a fond supporter of the island which at that time was already named after Margaret of the Árpád dynasty. He created a vineyard and a rose garden near his summer house. Obviously the island already had its appeal. On October 27, 1814 the leaders of the triumphant coalition against Napoleon were invited here. The Austrian Emperor and Hungarian King Franz I, the Russian Tzar Alexander I, and the Prussian Prince Friedrich Wilhelm III all enjoyed the fireworks and the dance performance of the vintage-time celebrations. Tzar Alexander certainly had a good time, since on the invitation of Palatine Joseph, he sent his younger sister for a vacation on the island the following summer. (A family connection also contributed to this: Alexandra Pavlovna, the first wife of the Palatine was another sister of the Tzar.)

The Palatine’s summer house, rebuilt from the Franciscan monastery, suffered from the passing years. It was replaced by a hotel in the first years of the 20th century. In 1908 the city of Budapest purchased the island from Archduke Joseph the younger for 11 million crowns. This paved the way to satisfy Mihály Táncsicst dream expressed in his book “Our CapitaT published in 1867. He suggested connecting the island to the city by a bridge and creating a health resort based on the thermal springs found in the preceding decades.

The island has many faces. It is called the citadel of healing, a sports centre with a swimming pool, tennis courts, and boathouses; a historical memorial due to its monuments, and one of the touristic attractions of Budapest. But first and foremost Margaret Island is our most beautiful park.

Thirty of its 96 hectares is occupied by various institutions. The remaining 60 hectares is vegetated form7