The church became a theatre, and the dining hall was transformed into a casino. Following the Emperor's command, the blueprints of the Castle Theatre were quickly drawn up by Farkas Kempelen (the inventor of the famous chess automat) Converting the holy grounds of a church into a theatre in those days was considered sacrilegious, and caused quite an uproar among the citizens of Buda.

Hence, the reconstructive work had to proceed cautiously in order to avoid throwing salt on the wound. The crypts for example, were not touched, except for a small section which was used for the trap-doors. The caskets of the monks, buried deep within the walls, were only disturbed when the central heating was added to the theatre.

The recent reconstrution of the Rivalda Restaurant was considerably more discreet. The pious "White Friars" (as the Carmelites were called) can sleep peacefully, perhaps even happily, knowing that their eternal resting place is still devoted to the entertainment of the public.

This building is also a milestone landmark in the history of the Hungarian theatrical arts, because László Kelemen's first theatre troupe held its premier performance in the Hungarian language on October 25, 1790. We hope that with Rivalda, we have successfully preserved traditions, recalled memories of the grand theatrical past, while at the same time demonstrating that true old-fashioned hospitality is nothing else…. but a perpetual theatre!