The
Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Belávorsi Nagyboldogasszony), also known
commonly as the Inner Parish Church, City Parish Church, or Downtown Parish
Church, is the main Roman Catholic parish church of Budapest. It is located in
Pest, adjacent to the walls of the Roman fortress Contra-Aquincum and the
Elisabeth Bridge.
The
earliest features of this church date back to the Romanesque period. In 1046,
St Gellért (Gerhard), Bishop of Csanád, was buried here. In the 14th century,
King Sigismund of Hungary initiated its reconstruction in the Gothic style. During
the reign of King Matthias (1458-90), two additional lateral aisles were added.
In Ottoman Turkish times, it was used as a mosque.
After
a fire in 1723, it was restored in 1725-39 in Baroque style. The church was
restored several times: in 1805, 1808, 1889, and after 1945. The buttresses had
been dismantled in 1932, bringing back light to the Gothic windows. When the
Elisabeth Bridge was being rebuilt after destruction in WWII, the Communist
government sought to demolish the church, but, through astute negotiation with
the Communist authorities, the Catholic Church managed to save this historic
treasure. The exterior of the church was neglected until the façade was
renovated in 2011.
MT 11:48 AM - Budapest: view, from Pest end of Elisabeth Bridge, of west façade and towers of Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through bus window (telephoto 79 mm).
11:53 AM - Budapest: buildings on street near east end of Elisabeth Bridge, through bus window.
11:53 AM - Budapest: south side and towers of west facáde of Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through bus window.
11:53 AM - Budapest: view back over
Elisabeth Bridge to Buda with St. Gellért Monument (colonnade) on near side of
Gellért Hill and Schoch-Hegedüs Villa (resembling a castle) on horizon, through
bus window (telephoto 156 mm).
The Schoch-Hegedüs Villa (Red Villa) at Orom utca 4 in “Little Genoa” on Gellért Hill, in Castle District, was built in 1913-14. The area was formerly part of the famous Buda wine region, but at the end of
the 19th century, the vineyard became extinct as a result of the phylloxera
epidemic, and the land was parceled out. According to local lore, Frigyes
Schoch, the heir of the wealthy Swiss Schoch family, bought several plots of
the land in the early 1900s. Then he fell in love with a hilltop villa called
Castello Türke in Genoa, Italy during his trip around the world in 1902, and he
wanted to build an exact copy of it. Schoch, who was a stock market speculator,
went bankrupt in 1923. In 1926, Dr. Lóránt Hegedüs, who had previously served
as Minister of Finance, took up residence in the villa, which also became known
by his name. The Schoch-Hegedüs villa is
reminiscent of a towered medieval castle. Due to its red bricks, it is also
called the Red Villa. It rises above the statue of St. Gellért and the Gellért
waterfall on Gellért Hill.
Gellért
Hill (Hungarian: Gellért-hegy) belongs to the Buda Hills, which dot the Buda
side of Budapest. The first recorded names of the hill in the Middle Ages were
Kelen-hegy, Pesti-hegy (English: Pest Hill), and Blocksberg. The former name
Pesti-hegy referred to a large cave (now Gellért Hill Cave) in the hillside.
The word Pesti is probably of Slavic origin and means oven or cave. Since the
15th century, it has been called Szent Gellért hegye (the hill of St. Gerard),
referring to the legend of the death of St. Gerard there.
Gellért was born Gerard in Venice, where he entered a Benedictine monastery. He left there for
a pilgrimage to the Holy Land around 1020. Diverted by a storm, he decided to
visit Hungary, where Stephen I, the first King of Hungary, persuaded the monk
not to continue his pilgrimage and engaged him as a tutor for his son. The
conversion of the Hungarians had started in the 970s, but Stephen had
accelerated the systematic organization of the Church as soon as he became king
in 1000. Around 1030, Stephen made him bishop of the newly established Diocese
of Csanád, which included Hungary. Gerard was a missionary bishop, tasked with
the conversion of the pagan inhabitants of the diocese.
The
bishop was assassinated by the pagans during the great pagan rebellion of 1046.
There are various accounts of his death. According to one, he was stoned,
pierced with a lance, and his body was thrown from the Blocksberg cliff into
the Danube. An alternate account claims that he was placed on a two-wheeled
cart, hauled to the hilltop and rolled down the hill of Buda, now named Gellért
Hill, and then, still alive at the bottom, was beaten to death. Other
unverified tales report him as being put into a spiked barrel and rolled down
into the deep from the top of the hill.
11:54 AM - Budapest: view of Buda Castle (with dome), through bus window (telephoto 156 mm).
Buda
Castle
(Budavári Palota), also called the Royal Palace, is the historical castle and
palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. In the past, the complex was
referred to as ether the Royal Palace or Royal Castle. The first royal
residence on the Castle Hill was built in 1247-65. The oldest part of the
present-day complex was built in the 14th century by Stephen, Duke of Slavonia;
only the foundations remain of the castle keep, which is known as Stephen’s
Tower. The Gothic palace of King Louis I was arranged around a narrow courtyard
next to the keep. King Sigismund, as a Holy Roman Emperor, needed a magnificent
residence to show his prominence among the rulers of Europe and significantly
enlarged the palace and strengthened its fortifications. He chose Buda Castle
as his main residence, and during his long reign (1387-1437) it became probably
the largest Gothic palace of the late Middle Ages. Construction began in the
1410s and was largely completed in the 1420s. The last phase of large-scale building
activity on the Gothic palace took place under King Matthias Corvinus (1458-90).
After the marriage of Matthias to Beatrice of Naples in 1476. Italian
humanists, artist, and craftsmen arrived at Buda, and it became the first
center of the Renaissance north of the Alps. The king rebuilt the palace in an
early Renaissance style. Under the reign of King John Zápolya (1526-40), the
last national ruler of Hungary, the palace was repaired. In 1541, Buda was
occupied by the Ottomans and became part of the Ottoman Empire. The new Ottoman
government let the palace decay and fall into ruins. Nevertheless, the medieval
palace mostly survived until the great siege of 1686, when Buda was recaptured
by Christian forces. Although the walls mainly survived, the burned-out shell
rapidly decayed from lack of maintenance. In 1715, King Charles III ordered the
demolition of the ruins. The main part of the palace was totally demolished,
the hollows and moats were filled in, and a new flat terrace was established.
In 1715, a small Baroque palace was built; this simple rectangular building is
identical with the core of the present-day palace. In 1723, the still
unfinished palace was accidentally burned down.
The
Hungarians supported Queen Maria Theresa in the dire need for the War of
Austrian Succession (1640-48). The queen was grateful for this, and the new
Royal Palace became a symbol of peace and friendship between the dynasty and
the nation. Thus, the massive Baroque palace that occupies most of the site
today was built in 1749-69.
In
1848, there was a break between the liberal Hungarian government and the
dynasty, and the Austrian army seized the palace. When the Hungarians captured the
palace with heavy artillery fighting, it was heavily damaged. It was rebuilt in
1850-56, but the former Viennese Baroque palace of Maria Theresa became a more
austere Neoclassical Baroque building.
After
the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria was
crowned king of Hungary. In the last decades of the 19th century, however, the
autonomous Hungarian government intended to create a royal palace to match any
famous European royal residence (especially their old rival, Vienna’s Hofburg).
The rebuilding spanned 40 years, between 1875 and 1912. Plans called for
preserving the old Baroque place but nearly doubled the size of the residence.
The difference between the original Baroque and the new Neo-Renaissance wings
is obvious. The dome, like other details of the north wing, shows German Jugendstil
influences.
After
WWI and the 1918 revolution that removed the Habsburg dynasty, the Royal Palace
became the seat of the new regent of the Kingdom of Hungary, who lived there
until 1944 when the German army occupied the place and forced the regent to
abdicate. In 1945, the German and Hungarian forces defending the castle
attempted to break the Soviet blockade but failed. Heavy fighting and artillery
fire rendered the palace into ruins. In 1952-66, it was rebuilt in a simplified
Stalin Baroque style, since the new Communist government of Hungary considered the
Royal Palace a symbol of the former regime. However, the modernist dome was
designed after Italian Baroque models.
The
palace now houses the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History
Museum. It is part of the Budapest UNESCO World Heritage Site.
11:54 AM - Budapest: west façade of Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through bus window (telephoto 72 mm).
11:54 AM - Budapest: Buda Castle across the Danube, with tower of Matthias Church at far right, through bus window (telephoto 72 mm).
MT 11:50 AM - Budapest: Buda Castle across the Danube, through bus window (telephoto 141 mm).
11:54 AM - Budapest: Buda Castle at left, with tower of Matthias Church in right center, through bus window (telephoto 72 mm).
11:54 AM - Budapest: Matthias Church right of center, through bus window (telephoto 156 mm).
The Church of the
Assumption of the Buda Castle (Budavári Nagyboldogasszony-templom),
more commonly known as the Matthias Church, more rarely as the Coronation Church of Our Lady of Buda, is a Roman
Catholic church located in Holy Trinity Square at the heart of the Castle District. We would see more of this church later.
11:57 AM - Budapest: Matthias Church on horizon (left of center) and Chain Bridge, through bus windshield.
12:04 PM - Budapest: Four Seasons Hotel, where the bus left us off to walk to the restaurant for lunch.
12:04 PM - Budapest: Four Seasons Hotel, identified by small bronze plaques on either side of door that read "FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Gresham Palace."
The Four Seasons Hotel is located at Széchenyi István tér 5-6 (St. Stephen Terr) in the heart
of Budapest. It is in the lovingly restored Gresham Palace building, which
embodies the spirit of Budapest’s Golden Era.
The Gresham Palace (Gresham-palota) is a fine example of Art Nouveau architecture. Completed
in 1906, as an office building and a residence for senior staff of the Gresham Life
Insurance Company of Britain, since 1999 it has housed the Four Seasons Hotel
Budapest Gresham Palace, a luxury hotel managed by the Canadian-based Four
Seasons Hotel chain. It is located along the Danube, adjacent to Szécheny
Square and the eastern end of the Szécheny Chain Bridge.
From the west-facing entrance to the hotel, a Viking guide led us a few steps south to a corner where we turned east on the pedestrianized street Zrínyi utca.
12:07 PM - Budapest: view down Zrínyi utca street where we walked, with out guide's red paddle for "Viking Bragi 13D" tour group at left and St. Stephen's Basilica at end of street.
MT 12:03 PM - Budapest: west façade of St. Stephen's Basilica at end of Zrínyi utca street (telephoto 96 mm).
12:07 PM - Budapest: west façade of St. Stephen's Basilica at end of Zrínyi utca street (telephoto 156 mm).
St. Stephen’s
Basilica (Szent István-bazilika) is a Roman Catholic church
named in honor of Stephen I, the first King of Hungary (c. 975-1038). Since the remaining of the primatial see in
1993, it has been the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest.
Completed in 1905 after 54 years of construction, it is the most important church
building in Hungary and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Equal with the Hungarian
Parliament Building, it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest at 96 m
(315 ft), symbolizing that worldly and spiritual thinking have the same importance.
The architectural style is Neo-Classical with a Greek cross ground plan. The façade
is flanked by two large bell towers.
12:10 PM - Budapest: statue of Franz Liszt on a corner on Zrínyi utca street.
MT 12:06 PM - Budapest: statue of Franz Liszt on a corner on Zrínyi utca street (mild telephoto 49 mm).
12:13 PM - Budapest: our tour guide with bronze Fat Policeman Statue on another corner on Zrínyi utca street.
The Fat Policeman Statue, also known as Uncle Karl or Uncle Charlie, is located on the street
leading to St. Stephen’s Basilica, about 150 m west of the church. It was
created by Hungarian sculptor András Illyés in 2008. He stands at the
intersection of Október 6. [6th] and Zríngyi streets, in the middle of the pedestrianized
street, facing the basilica. The rotund policeman in a uniform from the 1909-45
period is a delightful, lighthearted sculpture. His round stomach looks
unusually shiny because it is rubbed by many tourists since, according to
popular legend, that is supposed to give them good luck. The sculpture was
inspired by characteristic faces of the city, and its physique was modeled after
the artist’s grandfather.
MT 12:09 PM - Budapest: our tour guide with bronze Fat Policeman Statue on corner on Zrínyi utca street.
12:13 PM - Budapest: bronze Fat Policeman Statue on corner on Zrínyi utca street (mild telephoto 63 mm).
The Viking Daily newsletter had said: "12:30 PM Lunch: Join us at the local restaurant 'Urban Betyár'."
12:16 PM - Budapest: our tour group gathering outside the Urban Betyár restaurant on Október 6. utca street.
The Urban Betyár
Restaurant & Ethnographic Visitor Center is
located at Október 6. utca 16-18. The restaurant offers an extraordinary
gastronomic experience that is one of a kind in Hungary. Specialties include Hungarian
goulash, goulash soup, and lamb steaks.
12:17 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár interior - part of the Visitor Center we passed on our way to the large dining room of the restaurant.
12:38 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár restaurant - Don's goulash soup, which was the first course.
12:42 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár restaurant - Don's goulash soup, beef, potatoes, and carrots after he ate most of the liquid part.
MT 12:35 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár restaurant - MT's glass of beer from "Urban Betyár Budapest."
Between the first and second courses, Don used a trip to the restroom to take a quick look around the Ethnographic Visitor Center.
The Ethnographic Visitor Center has interactive displays that give a taste of traditional Hungarian peasant culture, showing what is behind the scenes.
12:46 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - back at the entrance to the Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:46 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - ethnic Hungarian costumes in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:46 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - ethnic Hungarian costumes in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:46 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - ethnic Hungarian costume and trunk in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:47 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old camera by exit sign in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:47 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old chests in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:47 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old living room furnishings in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:47 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old dining room furnishings in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:47 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old bedroom furnishings in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:48 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old bedroom furnishings in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:48 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old household tools and dishes in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:48 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old dining room furnishings in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:48 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old cupboard in dining room in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:49 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old wagon in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:49 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old [loom?] and grinding stone in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:49 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old mills in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:51 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - square toilet seat in restroom.
12:52 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old tools in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:52 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - old sled and yokes in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
12:52 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - what looked like spare pieces in Ethnographic Visitor Center.
1:43 PM - Budapest: Urban Betyár - exterior.
Then we walked back to the Four Seasons Hotel for bus pickup for the only available (included) shore excursion "Panoramic Budapest."
1:56 PM - Budapest: on our way back to the bus, we again passed the intersection with the statue of Franz Liszt on a corner.
1:56 PM - Budapest: on our way back to the bus, we again passed the intersection with the statue of Franz Liszt on a corner.' the small white signs at the sides of the alcove with the statue are for "Nádar utcar" on the left and "Zrínyi utca" on the right.
The Viking Daily newsletter described the Panoramic Budapest
excursion (2:00-5:50 PM) as follows:
“Visit highlights of Buda and Pest, including the
National Opera House and the historic Heroes’ Square, walk along Fishermen’s
Hill to Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church, and discover the history of
this vibrant city, including its Romany folklore.
“After your tour, you will be transferred to your hotel.”
The Viking Cruise Documents had originally described
this excursion (4 hours) somewhat differently:
“Hungary’s Graceful and Inspiring Capital [subtitle]
“Take in one of Europe’s great cultural capitals.
Over the last few decades, Budapest has reemerged as one of the continent’s
iconic cities, divided by the lilting Danube and connected by the graceful Chain
Bridge. Meet your guide at your ship [now when we got off the bus from Vienna]
for a panoramic tour, beginning in modern Pest. Along the elegant Andrassy
Avenue, the Champs-Elysees of Budapest, admire the Hungarian State Opera House.
Stop at the Heroes’ Square, a wide-open plaza of monuments and statues commemorating
the Magyar state. Across the river, explore the more traditional Buda side of
the city. Here you will visit the Castle District with its massive hilltop
castle complex, the turreted Fishermen’s Bastion and Matthias Church, named for
the country’s most popular medieval king. From the heights of Buda Hill, enjoy
fantastic views of the famous Chain Bridge, the first span ever to connect the
two halves of the city when it opened in 1849.”
Our tour started with the Pest side first. Most of our photos were from the bus window, rather than walking. We positioned ourselves in the front seat, in order to get photos
through both the windshield and a side window.
2:01 PM - Budapest: Pest - Statue of Franz Liszt in front of Hungarian State Opera House.
2:01 PM - Budapest: Pest - Hungarian State Opera House.
2:05 PM - Budapest: view, from Pest, of Matthias Church in Buda on other side of Danube (telephoto 81 mm).
2:05 PM - Budapest: view, from Pest, of Chain Bridge, with Buda Castle in background at right.
2:23 PM - Budapest: Pest - busy street, through bus windshield.
Although the name of the street small white sign on
the corner at the left is not legible, the iSTYLE electronics store (an Apple store) with the sign on the corner at the
right is located at Andrássy út. 36 (Andrássy Avenue), which is in Pest.
Then we crossed over the Elisabeth Bridge into Buda.
2:24 PM - Budapest: crossing over Elisabeth Bridge rom Pest into Buda, with Schoch-Hegedüs Villa on Gellért Hill in distance and St. Gellért Monument behind arch at far (west) end of bridge, through bus windshield (mild telephoto 63 mm).
2:25 PM - Budapest: Buda - St. Gellért Monument with statue of St. Gellért in front of colonnade and artificial Gellért Waterfall below it on Gellért Hill, from west end of Elisabeth Bridge into Buda, through bus windshield (mild telephoto 156 mm).
The St. Gellért Monument, located halfway up the slope of Gellért Hill 145 m over the Danube, marks
the spot where St. Gellért was hurled to his death in 1046. He was an Italian
missionary invited to Hungary by King Stephen I to convert the natives. In
front of the white colonnade (inspired by the ancient peristyle) is a bronze statue
of St. Gellért erected in 1904. Below the monument is an artificial waterfall.
2:27 PM (Cropped) - Budapest: Buda - sculpture of World War I soldiers outside Castle Garden Bazaar on Arpad street, through bus windshield.
The Castle Garden Bazaar (Varkert Bazár) was never a collection of shops or a kind of market, as
the name would suggest. Rather, it could more appropriately be called a Cultural
Palace with an Ornamental Garden south of the Buda Castle, covering the slopes
and offering a beautiful entrance to the castle complex from the bank of the
Danube. The garden and its Neo-Classical buildings were built in 1875-83 and
serve as an extension of the castle. The so-called Bazaar is a series of
arcades with galleries, pavilions, and terraces. On the south side of the
arcades at the bottom end of the Bazaar is the Museum of Military History.
The Museum of Military
History in the Castle Garden Bazaar was originally built as
an army barracks in the 1830s. The museum was established in the early 1920s.
It contains collections relating to Hungary’s military history from medieval
times to the world wars and beyond. There is a permanent exhibition dedicated
to World War I, called “Új világ született” (A New World Was Born).
Huge sculptures of World War I soldiers the sidewalk
outside Museum of Military History on Arpad street, on the Danube between the
Elisabeth and Chain Bridges, convey much about the futility of war. The “Brothers-in-Arms” statues
commemorate Hungarian soldiers who suffered and died in WWI. The statues were
designed by sculptors Kisfaludi Strobl Zsigmond and Orbán Antal in the 1920s.
The statues by Zsigmond were made by 1940 but were only erected in 1941. Antal’s
2.5-meter-tall statue near the exit of the exhibition was made in 1926 and
unveiled in 1928. Like the statues at the entrance to the exhibition, it was
designed by Zsigmond. The infantry of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy consisted
of a total of 102 regiment, of which 47 were recruited from the Kingdom of Hungary. In the armed forces of the Monarchy, the “hunters”
were an elite light infantry with 26 separate battalions, of which 8 were from Hungary.
MT 2:23 PM - Budapest: Buda - sculpture of World War I soldiers outside Castle Garden Bazaar on Arpad street, through bus windshield (mild telephoto 62 mm).
2:27 PM (Cropped) - Budapest: Buda - more of Castle Garden Bazaar on Arpad street, through bus windshield.
MT 2:25 PM - Budapest: Buda - unidentified buildings on Arpad street, through bus windshield.
MT 2:25 PM (Cropped) - Budapest: Buda - Brown,
oval-shaped sign for "Lanchid," with logo of the Chain Bridge (Hungarian:
Széchenyi lánchid), near door of yellow building on Arpad street, through bus
windshield.
2:32 PM - Budapest: Buda - view of Chain Bridge from Arpad street, through bus window.
The Széchenyi Chain
Bridge (Széchenyi lánchid) spans the Danube between Buda
and Pest. Opened in 1849, it was the first permanent bridge across the Danube
in Hungry. It was named for Count István Széchenyi (1791-1860), a major
supporter of its construction, but is most commonly known as the Chain Bridge. The
iron chains, on which the road bed hangs, are held by two 48-meter river piers
in Neo-Classical style; hence the name “Chain Bridge.” At the time of its construction,
it was the suspension bridge with the second-largest span in the world. The
bridge’s cast-iron structure was updated and strengthened in 1914. In WWII, it
was blown up in 1945 by retreating German troops, with only the towers
remaining. It was rebuilt in its original form and reopened in 1949. It is one
of the best known landmarks of Budapest.
MT 2:28 PM - Budapest: Buda - view of Chain Bridge from Buda end, through bus window (mild telephoto 54 mm).
2:33 PM - Budapest: Buda - entrance of Buda Castle Tunnel near of Chain Bridge, through bus windshield with reflection.
Adam Clark, the engineer in charge of the original
construction of the Chain Bridge, also built the Buda
Castle Tunnel (also known as Budapest Castle Hill Tunnel) under
Castle Hill to provide easy access to places in Buda behind the hill. The
tunnel, which leads through the hill under Buda Castle, is 350 m long, nearly the
same length as the Chain Bridge (380 m). Previously, people coming from the Pest
end of the bridge to Buda had to walk around the Castle Hill on the Buda side
to be able to proceed northward. Clark started construction of the tunnel in
1853, 4 years after completion of the Chain Bridge, and it opened for traffic
in 1857. It connects the Chain Bridge with the residential district of
Krisztinaváros (Christina Town) in Buda. The entrance to the tunnel at its
Chain Bridge end was also fittingly designed in Neo-Classical style. Like the
bridge, the tunnel was destroyed in WWII, and it was rebuilt with plain stone
blocks in modern style in 1949.
2:35 PM (Cropped) - Budapest: Buda - statue by side of road on way to Matthias Church, through bus windshield.
MT 2:30 PM - Budapest: Buda - buildings on street, with tower of Matthias Church in background, through bus windshield (mild telephoto 56 mm).
We got off the bus near an entrance to the Buda Castle Quarter to walk to the Matthias Church.
2:49 PM - Budapest: Buda - our guide by sign for "A Budai Varnegyed" (Buda Castle Quarter); in this diagram, the pointed end of the quarter at the top right is actually the south end of the quarter with Buda Castle, the Matthias Church is just left of center, and the northern residential area is to the left of that; the red dot toward the right, according to the key at the bottom left, is for "You are standing here."
The Buda Castle Quarter (Budai Varnegyed) is part of the 1st district of Budapest, called Vár,
an ancient area of the city of Buda. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The
Castle Hill was historically a good strategic position. King Béla of Hungary
built his fortress here after the Tartar invasion in the 13th century. The
quarter is located within the defensive walls of the Buda Castle complex,
corresponding to the medieval city of Bud. The area is characterized by narrow streets
lined with old, colorful medieval civic houses. There are many medieval
monuments in the area, as well as 17th- and 18th-century dwellings and public
buildings. The three main parts of the Castle Quarter are the Buda Castle, St.
George’s Square, and the historical residential area. The center of the quarter
is the area between the Buda Castle and Matthias Church.
2:55 PM - Budapest: Buda - interesting doorway on street leading to Matthias Church; the brown signs on the doors read: "Kérjük Akaput Szabadon Hagyni" (Please Leave the Gate Free) (telephoto 93 mm).
MT 2:54 PM - Budapest: Buda - interesting
building on street, with "Tarno[k]" and part of menu in window.
Tárnok Kávéház is a Hungarian-Italian restaurant located at Tárnok utca 14 in the Castle
Hill District.
2:58 PM - Budapest: Buda – “[Boro]zó - Sörözö [Ar]any
Hordó Vendegló” restaurant and shops on the street.
Borozó - Sörözö
Arany Hordó Vendegló (Arany Hordó = Golden Barrel) is a restaurant
located next door to Tárnok Kávéház at Tárnok utca 16 in the Castle Hill
District. The first-floor overhang and a suit of armor at the front entrance
are intriguing. It has a view up the street to the tower of the Matthias Church
and the Trinity Column. The building used to be the residence of the king’s
main cupbearer. The 500-year-old wine cellar was one of the branches of the
Buda Labyrinth.
The Buda Labyrinth, also known as the Castle Maze, is part of a huge network of intricate tunnels
in the Buda Castle District in one of the oldest parts of Budapest. The
labyrinth is a series of winding, interconnected passageways that snake for several
kilometers beneath the Buda Castle complex. It was created by the effects of
hot water springs on the Castle Hill’s limestone rocks, forming springs,
basements, caverns, and cellars. Throughout the years, the Labyrinth was firstly
used by prehistoric man half a million years ago as a refuge and hunting ground.
Archaeological evidence of 350,00-year-old stone tools belonging to Homo
erectus have been located in the caves. Then, during the Middle Ages, it
was used as a wine cellar, a torture chamber, a prison, a patio, a treasury, and
a safe shelter. In the 16th century, it was even used as a Turkish harem. Throughout
the labyrinth are century-old rocks and ruins of old buildings dating back to
the Middle Ages. The underground system also served as a military hospital,
bunker, and bomb shelters during WWII. The winding corridors of present maze have
Gothic and Renaissance monuments, Turkish tombstones, vaulted rooms, statues,
fountains, pillars, and various wall paintings (reproductions) of the caves’
walls.
2:58 PM - Budapest: Buda - first clear view of Matthias Church down the street.
2:59 PM - Budapest: Buda - closer view of Matthias Church down the street.
2:59 PM - Budapest: Buda - approaching Matthias Church, with Trinity Fountain at far left.
3:00 PM - Budapest: Buda - approaching Matthias Church.
MT 2:55 PM - Budapest: Buda - approaching Matthias Church (mild telephoto 54 mm).
MT 2:56 PM - Budapest: Buda - approaching Matthias Church (mild telephoto 33 mm).
The Church of the
Assumption of the Buda Castle (Budavári
Nagyboldogasszony-templom), more commonly known as the Matthias Church (Mátyás-templom),
more rarely as the Coronation Church of Our Lady of Buda, is a Roman Catholic
church located in Holy Trinity Square at the heart of the Castle District.
According to tradition, it was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015,
founded by St. Stephen, King of Hungary, and was the second largest church of
medieval Buda. After the 13th-century Mongol invasion, that smaller was
replaced by a towering three-nave basilica built in 1255-69, which became the
earliest and most complete work of classical Gothic architecture in Hungary.
The current building is a result of rebuilding in the second half of the 14th
century into a Gothic Hall church in the florid late-Gothic style. The church
reached the peak of its medieval prosperity during the reign of King Mathias
Corvinus (reign 1458-90), in thanks for his return from captivity in Prague. It
was extensively restored in the late 19th century by the architect Frigyes
Schulek. Since the 19th century, it has been referred to as the Matthias
Church, after King Matthias, who in 1470 ordered the rebuilding of its original
southwestern tower, which had collapsed in 1384.
Frigyes Schulek (1841-1919) was the Hungarian architect who rebuilt the Matthias Church
between 1874 and 1896. When planning the reconstruction, he did a thorough
field survey of the Gothic church to expose the varying original elements of the
building, in order to learn how it has been built, rebuilt, and enlarged over
time. Rather than choosing a particular historic period, while conserving
evidence of its earlier and later appearance, he practically constructed the
church anew, without preserving the various historic interventions, and had
nearly every stone replaced or recarved. On the west façade and the bell tower,
where he could find no documentary evidence to assist him, he used his own
designs, to the point that the building as it stands today is almost entirely
his creation.
MT 2:56 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - façade and tower.
MT 2:57 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - façade and tower.
The 3-axis, 3-story west
façade dates back to the 19th century, seen in its current
form since the 16th century. As a result of the 19th-century remodeling,
original medieval carvings can still be seen among the column sections of the
interior gate in the central axis of the façade, and the rose window above it
is based on medieval fragments.
3:01 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - façade and tower.
2:59 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - tower (telephoto 81 mm).
The original Romanesque south tower, which had
collapsed in 1384, was rebuilt as the Gothic southwest tower in 1470 as ordered by
King Matthias. Apart from its helmet, the southwest tower, since then known as
the Matthias Bell Tower still retains its original form, although a complete replacement of its
stone material (except for the great arch supporting the choir) became
necessary in the 19th century. In 1696, the tower was crowned with a Baroque
onion dome. Under the leadership of King Franz Joseph I of Austria, a complete
rebuilding of the church took place in 1874-96, restoring it to its original 13th-century
plan. Throughout the church, Baroque parts were removed and restored to the
ancient ones, but completely restoring the damaged parts. This included the
Matthias Bell Tower, which was topped with the rich Neo-Gothic cap and balcony
row seen today.
3:01 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - Holy Trinity Column.
3:02 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - Holy Trinity Column (mild telephoto 56 mm).
Budapest: Holy Trinity Column (By
Chmee2/Valtamen, Own Work at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marian_and_Holy_Trinity_column_in_Budapest.JPG).
The Holy Trinity Column is a beautiful 15-meter-tall Baroque limestone column in the middle Holy
Trinity Square in front of the west façade of the Matthias Church. It was built
in 1713 as a plague memorial. The Black Plague had swept across Europe in 1691
and 1709, causing the death of 30-60% of Europe’s population. Since people
believed that erecting a column would keep away the plague, the Council of Buda
decided in 1694 to erect a column, and the foundation stone was laid in 1700.
Even though the first pillar was ready by 1706, the plague returned to Budapest
three years later. Therefore, a larger plague pillar was planned in order to
keep the plague away at all costs. (As a result, the plague never returned to Budapest
after 1709.) The new column was inaugurated in 1713.
The statue of the Holy Trinity was finished in 1706.
In 1709, the original column was removed, and the Council of Buda decided on
the erection of a much larger, more expensive, and more decorative Holy Trinity
Column, which is seen today. The carving on the top of the column represents
the Holy Trinity: the Father with a scepter, the Son holding a cross, and over
them the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. Below it, the column is decorated
with smaller statues depicting angels and cherub-like figures and larger
statues of saints. The statues on the cornice of the hexagonal obelisk are St. Roch
showing his wounds, St. John holding a cross, St. Christopher holding the child
Christ on his shoulders, St. Augustine with a burning heart, St. Joseph holding
a lily, and St. Sebastian with arrows in his body. There are three reliefs
under the cornice: one shows a Biblical scene, with King David praying to God
to let his people avoid the outbreak of a plague, the second shows the horror
of the epidemic in Buda Castle, and the third represents the Holy Trinity
Column. On the three outstanding rims over the six statues are the Virgin Mary,
John the Baptist, and St. Francis Xavier.
3:02 PM - Budapest: Statue of St. Stephen (King Stephen I of Hungary) near Matthias Church (telephoto 156 mm).
The Statue of St.
Stephen (King Stephen I of Hungary) is located outside the
southeast corner of the Matthias Church near the apse and next to the Fisherman’s
Bastion. It was the first statue of King Stephen in Budapest. This is not
surprising since there were only a few statues in the city at the end of the
19th century. In 1893, a decision was made on the location and that the king
was to be depicted on horseback rather than on a throne. Erection of the statue
began in 1897, but fundraising was not successful at that time, and the statue
was not unveiled until 1906.
Budapest: Statue of St. Stephen (By Filip Maljković from Pancevo, Serbia - Saint Stephen I monument in Buda, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39962460).
The king is wearing the Hungarian Holy Crown and the
halo of a saint and waves his scepter to signify giving a blessing to the
people. As the sculptor began work, King Franz Joseph objected to having a spear in the king’s hand and
asked him to replace it with a scepter with a double cross. The nearly
5.5-meter-tall pedestal is ornamented with reliefs on the four sides and is surrounded
by an oval-shaped fretwork balustrade ornamented with the Lamb of God and
reliefs of the Four Evangelists.
3:05 PM - Budapest: Statue of St. Stephen (King Stephen I of Hungary) near Matthias Church (telephoto 119 mm).
3:03 PM - Budapest: view from Matthias Church
(at left) past Statue of St. Stephen to Fisherman's Bastion.
Fisherman’s Bastion (Halászbástya) is one of the best known monuments in Budapest and
popular with tourists due to the unique panoramic view of Budapest from its
Neo-Romanesque terraces. Its main façade is parallel to the Danube, and it has
seven high-pitched stone towers. The original walls were built in the 1700s,
forming part of the walls of Buda Castle. Historians say that in the Middle
Ages, this part of the castle was protected by a guild of fishermen (halász)
who lived in a settlement called Fishtown (Halászváros) along the Danube under
the walls.
Budapest: engraving from 1790s showing
Matthias Church (still with Baroque onion dome at number 8), the original
Fishermen’s Bastion just below it, and Fishtown down by the riverside (By János
Fülöp Binder - Transferred from hu.wikipedia, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6225308).
The bastion gradually deteriorated due to the
effects of nature and wars. In 1894, the Hungarian Ministry of War abolished
the fortress nature of Buda Castle, since it no longer met the requirements
necessary for a fortress in warfare of that time. However, already in 1871, the
Pest Committee on Beauty had called for development plans for the newly merged
capital, dealing with the Castle Hill, including Fishermen’s Bastion. The
current structure was built around 1985-1902 or 03 in Neo-Romanesque style. Frigyes
Schulek (1841-1919), the same architect who rebuilt the Matthias Church,
designed corridors, terraces, and towers to connect still-extant parts of the
Buda Castle behind the apse of the church.
As part of this reconstruction project, the statue
of St. Stephen was placed in the middle of the bastion’s southern courtyard.
The bastion was severely damaged during WWII but was high in the restoration
priorities after the war. Restoration was completed in 1953.
3:04 PM - Budapest: view from near apse of Matthias Church past Statue of St. Stephen (on right) to Fisherman's Bastion with 3 of its 7 towers.
MT 3:00 PM - Budapest: view from near apse of Matthias Church past Statue of St. Stephen (on right) to Fisherman's Bastion with 3 of its 7 towers, our guide with "Viking Bragi 13D" red paddle in right foreground.
3:03 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - south
façade with Maria Gate entrance to church; tourist entrance with awning at right near apse.
3:03 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - Maria
Gate entrance to church on south façade.
When the church was turned into a Gothic hall church
in the 14th century, a new, ornamental portal, the so-called Maria Gate (Mária Kapui), Mary
Gate, or Virgin Mary Gate, was opened on the south side. In 1370, King Louis I
of Hungary began the construction of the iconic Maria Gate. Since
then, the main entrance to the church is through these doors on the south side.
This is the oldest remaining part of the church and the only really original
Gothic piece; others are reproductions from the 19th century. Parts of the gate
include signature marks of craft unions of 14th-centry stone carvers. It is a
unique piece of architectural sculpture in Buda.
The lower part of the tympanum shows the dying Virgin Mary on her knees among the apostles, while the top part shows Christ welcoming his mother, who is represented with a baby, into heaven.
3:05 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - south side with Maria Gate main entrance to church (at near the bell tower at the left) and smaller entrance (at right) with tent in front of it, where tours entered.
3:05 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - Bell tower, with Maria Gate just to its right on south side.
Then we had a tour of the interior of the Matthias Church.
Entering the interior of the church, one experiences a welcoming combination of warm lights
and shadows; colors with orange, brown, and golden hues reaching from floor to
ceiling; beautiful stained-glass windows; far-reaching arches; centuries old
pews; and medieval remnants. The lower part is characteristic of the Romanesque
style, while the upper part is distinctly Gothic.
MT 3:06 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - main altar in apse (mild telephoto 37 mm).
The main altar designed by Frigyes Schulek (1841-1919) was inspired by Gothic
triptychs. There is a cross created by Schulek and two scenes from the life of
Mary on the sides. The higher section of the altar is dominated by Our Lady
with a crown, floating in a wreath of light.
3:08 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - view, from near main altar, of organ in loft at rear of nave (blurred).
3:08 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - view, from near main altar, toward organ in loft and north side of nave (blurred).
3:09 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - view of apse with main altar, and vaulting with painted arches and columns.
All the walls and columns of the church were painted by hand by Károly Lotz (1833-1904) and
Bertlan Székely (1835-1910). The style is Hungarian Secessionist that uses
natural motifs like leaves, flowers, and hearts.
3:10 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - view toward apse with more of vaulted ceiling and pulpit on right.
3:09 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - pulpit on left (north) side of nave.
The pulpit is built of sandstone, and the surfaces are entirely covered with Neo-Romanesque
ornamental painting, including the statues. The Gothic-Revival abat-voix
(overhead) is carved of oak. The platform of the pulpit is supported by an
outer ring of arches and a massive central pillar. The most interesting part of
the structure is the sculptural decoration of the parapet with statues of the
Four Evangelists and the four Latin doctors of the church standing under the arches
of an arcade.
MT Budapest: Matthias Church – pulpit detail with five of the figures on parapet.
MT 3:06 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - stained-glass window near pulpit on left (north) side of nave (mild telephoto 53 mm).
3:11 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - vaulting and painted columns on side of nave.
MT 3:16 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - tomb of Béla III and Anna in Trinity Chapel on left (north) side of nave (mild telephoto 34 mm).
The tombs of King Béla
III of Hungary and his wife Anna [or Agnes] (Chatillon) of Antioch in the Chapel of the Trinity on the north wall. It is the only medieval
tomb of a king that survived the adversity of the centuries. This is the only
royal couple whose bones were not thrown out by the Turks from the royal
cathedral in Székesfehérvár*, from which they were later moved to Budapest.
Béla was the grandfather of Béla IV, founder of this church. Béla was a very
tall man; his skeleton shows that he was 190 cm (75 in) tall. The lion lying at
his feet symbolizes power, and the dog at Anna’s feet stands for faith and
loyalty.
*In the Middle Ages, Székesfehérvár, as capital of
the Kingdom of Hungary, was a royal residence. Kings of Hungary were crowned
there until 1526.
Béla III, of the Árpád dynasty, became King of Hungary upon the death of his
elder brother Stephen III. In 1162, Béla had moved to Constantinople in
accordance with a peace treaty between Stephen III and the Byzantine Emperor
Manual I Komnenos. While there, Béla was named Alexios, received the title of despotes
(lord), and was betrothed to the Emperor’s daughter Maria. Béla’s patrimony in Croatia
and Dalmatia, granted to him by his father, caused armed conflicts between the
Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary between 1164 and 1167, in which
Manuel endeavored to recover Béla’s land seized by his brother Stephen. Béla/Alexios,
who had been designated as Emperor Manuel’s heir (along with his daughter) in
1165, took part in three Byzantine campaigns against Hungary. His betrothal to
Maria was dissolved after her brother, Alexios, was born in 1169, and the
Emperor deprived Béla of his high title. In 1170, Béla/Alexios married the
Emperor’s sister-in-law, Agnes (Anna) of Antioch. When Stephen III died in 1172,
Béla and his wife Anna decided to return to Hungary and was crowned King of Hungary
in 1173. After the death of Anna in 1184, Béla married Margaret of France, a
sister of King Philip II of France, in 1186. Béla died in 1196 and was buried
in Székesfehérvár Cathedral. His remains were confidently identified by
archaeologists during 19th-century excavations there and were reinterred, along
with Anna’s, in the Matthias Church in Budapest in 1860.
Agnes of Antioch (c. 1154-c. 1184) was queen consort of Hungary in 1172-85 as the first
wife of King Béla III. She was the daughter of Raynald of Chatillon, Prince of
Antioch, and Constance, Princess of Antioch. At baptism, she probably received
the name Agnes. Around 1170, she went to Constantinople, where her older
half-sister Maria of Antioch was the wife of Byzantine Emperor Manuel I. On the
Emperor’s request, Agnes was married to Alexios (born Prince Béla of Hungary).
She received the name Anna in the imperial court. In Hungarian documents, she
always appears with her new name, probably because Agnes was rare at that time.
In 1172, after the death of King Stephen III of Hungary, her new husband
ascended to the throne as King Béla III, and Anna was crowned queen alongside
him. During their marriage, Anna gave birth to at least six children, the
oldest of which became King Emeric (also known as Imre or Henry) of Hungary in
1196. When Anna died, presumably in 1184, she was buried in the Székesfehérvár Cathedral,
and her remains were later reinterred in the Matthias Church in Budapest, along
with the husband’s.
MT 3:14 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - side chapel, Chapel of St. Ladislas, on left (north) side of nave.
Frescoes painted by Károly Lotz (1833-1904) in the Chapel of Saint-Ladislas (St. László) show scenes from the life of the knight and king, who was even more
widely respected that St. Stephen and ruled in 1077-95. He was called
“Elegantissimus rex,” the most elegant European king.
Ladislas I (László I) also Saint Lasidlas (Szent László), who lived c. 1040-1095, was King of Hungary
from 1077 and King of Croatia from 1091. Ladislas canonized the first Hungarian
saints, including his distant relative Stephen I, in 1085. His occupation of
almost all of Croatia in 1091 marked the beginning of an expansion for the
medieval Kingdom of Hungary. His relationship with the Holy See deteriorated
during the last years of his reign, since the popes claimed Croatia as their
fief. However, he was canonized in 1192 by King Béla III (apparently without
the authorization of Pope Celestine III).
Legends depict him as a pious knight-king, “the
incarnation of the late-medieval Hungarian ideal of chivalry.” The most popular
story describes Ladislas’ fight with a Cuman (Turkish) warrior after a battle in
what is now Romania. Ladislas spotted the pagan warrior fleeing from the
battlefield with a captive Hungarian maiden on his horse and sought to overtake
them on his own horse and spear him, but was unable to stop him. On Ladislas’
advice, the maiden pulled the warrior off his horse, allowing Ladislas to kill
him after a long fight on the ground. Other versions say that Ladislas caught
up with the warrior and was preparing to spear him as he lay on the ground. Then
the girl strongly pleaded with him not to kill him but let him go free.
However, after a long fight on the ground, Ladislas finally killed him. Murals
depicting this legend in medieval churches preserved the elements of pagan
myths, including a “struggle between forces of light and darkness.”
Budapest: Matthias Church – left side of fresco
in Ladislas Chapel, showing Ladislas (László in the banner) killing Turkish
warrior with his lance while the warrior has a maiden in his grasp (By Petr
Berka (Petrberka) – Own Work at https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4006443).
Ladislas’ official legend, compiled after 1204,
attributes a number of miracles to him. He is a popular saint in Hungary and
neighboring nations, where many churches are dedicated to him.
3:14 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - spiral staircase, on left (north) side of nave.
3:15 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - pulpit, on left (north) side of nave.
3:16 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - vaulting and painted walls and columns, on right (south) side of nave.
3:18 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - statue on column, with flag, on right (south) side of nave, near main altar.
Hanging from the columns of the main aisle are flags brought to Buda
by representatives of other countries for the coronation of King Franz Joseph I
in 1867.
3:18 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - statue of saint on column on right (south) side of nave, near main altar (telephoto 119 mm).
3:19 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - view toward rear in side aisle on right (south) side of nave, with fresco at end.
Budapest: Matthias Church - fresco at end of
aisle (By Zairon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32325581).
At the bottom in this photo, between two knights in
armor, is the coat of arms of King Matthias, who reigned 1459-90, and below
that is a plaque about “Mátyás’ (Matthias) dated “1893.”
The shield of Matthias from 1470 was originally placed
on the church tower. In now hangs on the inner wall of the tower. It shows the
king’s portrait at the top above his coat or arms, which is flanked by two
frescos of black knights painted by Bertalan Székely.
Bertalan Székely (1835-1910) was a Hungarian painter of portraits and historical subjects
who worked in the Romantic and Academic styles. He created decorative murals in
the Mattias Church and the Opera House of Budapest.
MT 3:22 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church – coat of arms of Matthias in fresco at end of aisle (mild telephoto 46 mm).
3:21 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - sign, in Hungarian and English, for "The Saint Imre Altar" with sidebar for "St. Francis of Assisi." The difficult to read English text says, in part: "Following the reconstruction works led by Frigyes Schulek, the chapel of the [Holy] Family was devoted to the [...] of Prince Saint Imre (died in 1031). The altar pieces depicting the birth, upbringing, the [...] at the Benedictine friars, and the [...] of Imre were painted by Mihály Zichy. The figure of St. Imre can be seen in the company of his father - King St. Stephen - and the friar - St. Gellért - on the altar. [rest illegible]."
Saint Emeric of Hungary (Hungarian: Szent Imre), who lived c.
1007-10 1, was the son of King St. Stephen I of Hungary and Giselle of Bavaria.
Presumably the second son of Stephen, he was the only son who reached
adulthood, and he was intended to be the next King of Hungary. He was educated
in a strict and ascetic spirit by the Benedictine monk Gerard (Gellért) from
Venice. The succession plans of his father were not fulfilled because, at age
24, Emeric was killed by a wild boar while hunting. Several wondrous healings
and conversions happened at his grave in the Székesfehérvár Cathedral. So, in
1083, King Ladislas I unearthed his bones in a large ceremony, and Emeric was
canonized for his pious life and purity, along with his father and Bishop
Gerard. St. Emeric is most often pictured in knight’s armor with crown and
lily.
Mihály Zichy (1827-1906) was a Hungarian painter and graphic artist. He is considered a notable representative of Hungarian romantic painting, although he lived and worked primarily in St. Petersburg and Paris during his career.
3:21 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - altar in St. Imre Chapel with statues of St.
Imre flanked by St. Stephen and Bishop Gellért, with Virgin and Child at the
top.
Budapest: Matthias Church – altar in St. Imre
Chapel with statues of St. Imre flanked by St. Stephen and Bishop Gellért, with
Virgin and Child at the top (By Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada -
Hungary-02218 - Side Altar, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66948045).
On the wings of the altar, paintings by Mihály Zichy showing scenes from the life of Imre.
3:22 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - altar in St. Imre Chapel with statues of St. Imre flanked by St. Stephen on left and Bishop Gellért on right (telephoto 81 mm).
3:21PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - fresco of Stigmatization of St. Francis in St. Imre Chapel with vaulting.
3:23 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - fresco of Stigmatization of St. Francis in St. Imre Chapel with vaulting.
Bertalan Székely (1835-1910) was a Hungarian painter of portraits and historical subjects
who worked in the Romantic and Academic styles. He created decorative murals in
the Mattias Church and the Opera House of Budapest.
3:25 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - Chapel of Loretto with 17th-century Madonna statue.
MT 3:21 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - Chapel of Loretto with 17th-century Madonna statue (mild telephoto 46 mm).
The Chapel of Loretto (or Loreto), of medieval origin, near the main entrance beneath the
southern tower preserves a Baroque Madonna statue from the end of the 17th
century. This statue was created to replace the original medieval sculpture of
the Madonna, which the people of Buda walled in during the Turkish occupation
of the church that turned it into a mosque. According to legend, the statue
appeared during an earthquake as if to predict the final triumph of
Christianity.
This Baroque statue of the Virgin Mary with Christ Child
was created to replace the one that was believed to be responsible for Buda’s miraculous
recapture by the united Christian army in 1686. In 1526, Buda was seized by the
Ottoman Turks, who turned the Matthias Church into a mosque and destroyed all
Christian altars and images of saints. However, according to legend, when the
city was under Ottoman siege in 1541, the people of Buda had walled up this
statue in a niche, but it was then forgotten for decades. In 1686, 145 years
later, during the recapture of Buda, the Turks used the building for gunpowder
storage, and there was an explosion so powerful that the stone wall that had
been built to hide the Madonna was demolished, revealing the Virgin’s shining
face. The Turks took this as a bad omen, believing that the Lady of Hungary had
reclaimed her church; so they gave up this part of the castle without a fight.
The paintings on the side wings of the altar are by Bertalan
Székely.
3:26 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - fresco on wall at end of side aisle, with shield of Matthias on wall to right.
3:26 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - fresco with shield of Matthias.
3:27 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - sign for "The Coat of Arms of King Matthias" (rest illegible).
3:27 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - outside view of inner foyer of south portal (Maria Gate) with replica of tympanum.
3:28 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - the original tympanum, behind glass, next to door of inner foyer of Maria Gate.
MT 3:34 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - the original tympanum, behind glass, next to door of inner foyer of Maria Gate.
The southwest entrance, the Maria Gate, built in the
14th century, is the oldest part of the church. It was reconstructed by Frigyes
Schulek in the late 19th century using part that had survived.
The lower part of the tympanum of the Maria Gate depicts
the dormition (falling asleep) of Mary, showing the dying Virgin Mary on her knees among the apostles, while the top part shows Mary's assumption into heaven, with Christ welcoming his mother, who is represented with a baby.
3:28 PM - Budapest: Matthias Church - outside of Maria Gate, with door to inner foyer closed (note that the statue of the Madonna is identical to the one in the same position in the inner foyer).
3:30 PM - Budapest: near apse of Matthias Church - statue of St. Stephen with part of Fishermen's Bastion in background.
3:30 PM - Budapest: part of Fishermen's Bastion with apse of Matthias Church at left.
Then we enjoyed the scenic view from the Fishermen's Bastion overlook.
MT 3:31 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - MT and Don at overlook with view across Danube to Parliament Building.
MT 3:28 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - MT and Don at overlook with view across Danube to Parliament Building.
MT 3:38 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion view across Danube to Parliament Building.
3:32 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion view across Danube to Parliament Building and city to its right (south), with one of the towers of Fishermen's Bastion in foreground at right.
3:33 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - towers and promenade.
3:39 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view back to apse and north side of Matthias Church.
MT 3:34 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view back to apse and part of north side of Matthias Church (mild telephoto 57 mm).
3:40 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view to the south.
MT 3:38PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view of one tower and portal to lower observation area.
3:42 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view through portal to lower observation area.
3:42 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view through portal all the way down to lower observation area.
MT 3:37 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view through portal of Don in foreground and all the way down to lower observation area, with Chain Bridge and Pest in distance.
MT 3:36 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view through portal of Don in foreground and all the way down to lower observation area, with Chain Bridge and Pest in distance.
MT 3:40 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view, from lower observation area, across Danube to Parliament Building and city to its right (south).
3:44 PM - Budapest: Fishermen's Bastion - view up steps to portal back to higher level.
3:30 PM - Budapest: near apse of Matthias Church - another view of statue of St. Stephen with part of Fishermen's Bastion in background.
Then we reboarded a bus for the rest of our "Panoramic" excursion around Budapest. So, once again, our photos would be through bus windows. Once
again, we positioned ourselves in the front seat, in order to get photos
through both the windshield and a side window.
4:06 PM - Budapest: statue we passed on way back from Matthias Church area, with inscription on pedestal: "1849 Majus [May] 21 - Szabad Hazaert."
The Monument to Szabad
Hazaert, which translates “Free Motherland,” was erected in
1893 as a tribute to the Hungarian freedom fighters who fought in the War of Independence
against Austria in 1848. 21 May 1849 was the date of the recapture of Buda Castle from the Austrians. The bronze statue is of a soldier holding the national
flag and the Winged Victory (some say an angel) at his side holding up a laurel
wreath. At the base of the statue is a wreath with a ribbon engraved with the
words “Szabadság vagy Halál,” meaning “Freedom or Death.” The memorial is
located on Disz Ter (Square) in the Castle Quarter of Budapest, not far from
the Mattias Church.
Then we got a (superficial) bus tour of Pest.
MT 4:23 PM - Budapest: view through tunnel of west end of Chain Bridge leading from Buda to Pest, through bus windshield (mild telephoto 59 mm).
4:27 PM - Budapest: west end of Chain Bridge leading from Buda to Pest, through bus windshield.
4:27 PM - Budapest: west end of Chain Bridge leading from Buda to Pest, through bus windshield (telephoto 119 mm).
MT 4:24 PM - Budapest: view through west end of Chain Bridge to arch on east end leading from Buda to Pest, through bus windshield (telephoto 83 mm).
4:29 PM - Budapest: statues of lions on Chain Bridge with large building (Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace) at east end of bridge in Pest, through bus windshield.
4:42 PM - Budapest: approaching Heroes Square, through bus windshield.
MT 4:38 PM - Budapest: approaching Heroes Square, through bus windshield (mild telephoto 66 mm).
4:41 PM - Budapest: Heroes Square with monument and column, through bus windshield (telephoto 156 mm).
Heroes Square (Hösök tere) is one of the major squares of Budapest, located at the
outbound end of Andrássy Avenue next to City Park. It is noted for its iconic
Millennium Monument with statues featuring the seven chieftains of the Magyars
and other important Hungarian national leaders, as well as the Memorial Stone
of Heroes, often erroneously referred to as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Millennium
Memorial (Millenáriumi Emlékmü), also translated as Millennium
Monument or Millennial Monument, is the central feature of Heroes Square. Its
construction began in 1896 to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of the
Hungarian (Magyar) conquest of the Carpathian Basin and the foundation of the
Hungarian state in 896. Construction was mostly completed in 1900. The four allegorical
statues were added in 1906, and the monument looked as it does today, except
for the kings’ statues. The back of the monument consists of two matched
colonnades, each with seven statues in the semi-circular arcades. When the
monument was originally constructed, Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, and thus the last five statues on the left of the colonnade were of
members of the Habsburg dynasty. When the monument was rebuilt after it was damaged
in WWII, those were replaced by the current figures.
At the front of the monument is the Memorial Stone of Heroes (Hösök emlékköve), a large stone cenotaph (grave marker for someone
buried somewhere else) dedicated ”To the memory of the heroes who gave their lives
for the freedom of out people and our national independence.” This is not a
burial place, and Hungry has no “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” There is only an
artesian well under the tombstone-like marker, which is surrounded by an
ornamental iron chain.
Directly behind the cenotaph is a column topped by a
statue of the Archangel Gabriel. In his right hand, he holds the Holy Crown of
St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary, and in his left he holds a two-barred apostolic
cross, a symbol awarded to St. Stephen by the pope in recognition of his
efforts to convert Hungary to Christianity. At the base of the column is a
group of seven mounted figures representing the Magyar chieftains who led the
Hungarian people into the Carpathian Basin. In the front is Árpád, the founder
of a dynasty with his name and considered to be the founder of the Hungarian
nation.
Budapest: Heroes Square – column (By Dennis Jarvis - Flickr: Hungary-0139 - Millennium Monument, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31900971).
4:44 PM - Budapest: Palace of Art on Heroes Square, through bus window.
The Budapest Palace
of Art or Hall of Art (Mücsarnok) is a contemporary art museum and a
historical building in Neoclassical style on Heroes Square, facing the similar-looking
Museum of Fine Arts. It was completed in 1896 for millennium celebrations. Its
portico is in the Greek Revival style.
4:44 PM - Budapest: portico of Palace of Art on Heroes Square, through bus window.
4:44 PM - Budapest: Museum of Fine Arts on Heroes Square, through bus window.
The Museum of Fine
Arts (Szépmüvészeti Múzeum) on the northwest side of Heroes
Square was built in 1900-1905 in an Eclectic-Neoclassical style. Its collection
is made up of international art (other than Hungarian), including all periods
of European art, as well as Egyptian.
4:47 PM - Budapest: Széchenyi Thermal Bath –
exterior on street, through bus window.
The Széchenyi Thermal Bath (Széchenyi gyógyfürdö) is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. It is
supplied by two thermal springs. It is located in the City Park. It was built
in Neo=-Baroque style in 1909-13 and expanded to its current size in 1927.
4:50 PM - Budapest: Széchenyi Thermal Bath – exterior on City Park side, through bus window.
MT 4:47 PM - Budapest: Széchenyi Thermal Bath – view of interior on City Park side, from Chain Bridge, through bus window.
4:55 PM - Budapest: approaching school and a church steeple on tree-lined street, through bus windshield.
4:55 PM - Budapest: clearer view of school with sign above door for "Budapest-Fasori Evangelikus Gimnazium" and more of the church, through bus windshield.
The Budapest-Fasori
Evangélikus Gimnazium (Budapest-Fasori Lutheran Secondary School) is
located near City Park. “Fasori Gimnazium” literally means secondary school on
a tree-lined avenue.” The famous school was founded by the Lutheran Church in
1823 and moved to its current location on Városligeti fasor (tree-lined avenue
to the City Park) in 1904, receiving its current nickname. In its first decades
of existence, it operated as a German-language institution, but in 1847 (the
year before the start if the war for independence from the German-speaking Austria),
Hungarian became the language of instruction. Notable alumni include the
physicist Edward Teller. In 1952, it had to close under the Communist regime,
but it reopened in 1989.
The school is located on the same street as the Fasori evangélikus templom (Lutheran Church of Fasor), at the corner of Városligeti fasor and Bajza
utca streets. The plot of land was bought in 1903, after the Lutherans of Pest
decided to build a new secondary school in the late 19th century. Construction
of the church began in 1903 and was completed by 1905. It is the second largest
Lutheran church in Budapest and the first to hold services in Hungarian.
5:04 PM - Budapest: Jewish Museum (left) and Heroes’ Temple
(right) in the Dohány Street Synagogue complex, through bus windshield.
The synagogue complex consists of the Great Synagogue, the Heroes’ Temple, the graveyard, the Memorial,
and the Jewish Museum.
The Dohány Street Synagogue (Dohány utcai zsinagóge) is the largest synagogue in Europe. It was
built in 1854-59 in the Moorish Revival style, with the decoration based
chiefly on Islamic models from North Africa and medieval Spain (the Alhambra). Two
onion domes top the trin octagonal towers, and a stained-glass rose window sits
over the main entrance. The synagogue was bombed by pro-Nazi Hungarians in
1939. During WWII, it was used as a base for German Radio and also as a stable.
The building suffered severe damage from aerial raids during the Nazi Occupation.
During the Communist era, the damaged structure again became a place of worship
for the much-diminished Jewish community. It was restored and renovated in
1991-98.
The Heroes’ Temple (Hösök Temploma) was added to the synagogue complex in 1931. It serves
as a memorial to Hungarian Jews who gave their lives during WWI. The Heroes’ Temple and the arcade behind the synagogue are used for
religious services on weekdays and during the winter.
The Jewish Museum (Zsidó Múzeum), or Hungarian Jewish Museum and Archives, was built in
1930 in accordance with the synagogue’s architectural style and attached in
1931 to the main building.
The Jewish Cemetery is the burial place of some of the 8,000 to 10,000 Jews who died in the ghetto
of Pest from hunger and cold during the winter of 1944-45. When the Russians
liberated Budapest in 1945, 2,000 of them were buried in the makeshift
cemetery. It is not customary to have a cemetery next to a synagogue, since the
Torah specifies that Jews are to be buried outside the city.
There is a Memorial
of the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs in the Raoul
Wallenberg Memory Park in the rear courtyard just behind the synagogue depicting
a weeping willow with leaves bearing the names and tattoo numbers of the dead
and disappeared.
5:04 PM Budapest: part of the arcade extending from front of the synagogue and side of synagogue with towers and rose window in the Dohány Street Synagogue complex, through bus windshield.
5:05 PM Budapest: part of side of synagogue with rose window in the Dohány Street Synagogue complex, through bus windshield.
MT 5:01 PM Budapest: part of side of synagogue with rose window in the Dohány Street Synagogue complex, through bus window.
Again, we passed by the Four Seasons Hotel.
5:09 PM Budapest: Four Seasons Hotel, through bus windshield.
Finally, the bus dropped us off at the Corinthia Hotel for a (short) night's stay.
5:30 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - entrance.
The Corinthia Hotel, at Erzsébet körut (Elisabeth Boulevard) 43-49 in the heart of Budapest,
is one of the finest 5-star hotels in Budapest and one of the oldest and most
beautiful. Originally opened in 1896 as the Grand Hotel Royal, the hotel in the
French Renaissance style was a hub for the elite society in the days of Emperor
Franz Joseph I. From WWII until 1953, the Royal served not as hotel but as an
office building. In 1953, the building was restored to again become a hotel,
but a fire in 1956 and damage during the Hungarian Revolution of the same year destroyed
much of the building. Despite reopening in more modest form in the 1960s, the
Grand Hotel remained a shadow of itself until it became obsolete, and finally
it was closed in 1991. In the 1990s, the Maltese-based Corinthia Group chain acquired
the property, began restoring the hotel to its original glory as a result of a €100
investment, and reopened it in 2003 as the Corinthia Hotel. While the glorious
frontage, marble floors, sweeping staircase, and breathtaking 6-story atrium preserved
from the original building offer glorious hints of a bygone age, the Corinthia Hotel
brings together classic hotel opulence with the finest 5-star luxury of modern
times.
MT 5:09 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - marble-floored atrium and staircase just inside entrance.
MT 5:18 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - Don by grand piano in atrium.
MT 5:09 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - base of staircase, from ground floor.
5:39 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - our room, 4113, viewed from near door.
5:40 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - our room, 4113, viewed from near window toward door.
5:40 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - screen on TV in our room, welcoming us by name "Ronald" with photo of staircase.
Then, around 7 pm, we went to dinner in the hotel.
MT 6:24 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - MT with other hotel guests (not from Viking) near base of staircase, as we went to dinner.
7:04 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - butter, in form of beehive, on our table at dinner.
8:11 PM Budapest: Corinthia Hotel - desert with edible gold leaf.
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