Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Main Entrance
“Iamthewayand
thetruthandthelife”
proclaimstheLatin
inscriptionabovethe
Basilica'smainentrance.
Situatedabovethe
inscriptionareseveral
statuesofHungarian
saintspayinghomage
totheVirginMaryand
theinfantJesus.
^
Main Portal
(
Gyula Benczúr
Thecolossalmain
door
(above)
features
carvingsdepictingthe
headsofthe12Apostles.
Impressivefromafar,it
isbeginningtolooka
littleworseforwear
whenseencloseup.
Painting
StStephen,byGyula
Benczúr
(below)
,isone
ofthemostimportant
worksintheHungarian
artisticcannon.Itpor-
traystheking-whodied
withoutanheir-prof-
feringthecareofthe
countryandthecrownto
theVirginMary.
&
St Gellért and
St Emeryka
AlajosStróblcarvedthe
statueofBishopSt
Gellértandhispupil,St
Emeryka(StStephen's
sonImre),thatstandsin
asmallnaveinthecentre
ofthemainhall.Oppo-
siteisanotherstatue-St
ElizabethbyKárolySenyei.
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Treasury
Areplicaoftheholy
Hungariancrownisthe
centerpieceofasmall
butsplendidcollectionof
religiousjewellery.The
originalcrownisnow
keptintheHungarian
Parliament
(see pp8-11).
GiftstoHungariankings
fromasuccessionof
popesarealsoondisplay.
)
Figures of the
12 Apostles
TheBasilica'srear
colonnadehas12superb
statuesbyLeóFeszler
representingthe12
Apostles.Belowisaine
Neo-Classicalloggia.
Organ Concerts
TheBasilica'sorgan
wasmadebyAngster
&SonsofPécs,and
installedin1904.Atthe
time,itwasconsidered
theworld'sinest.The
organwasenlargedin
1934,andtodaycom-
prisesnolessthan
5,898pipes.Youcan
hearitatspecialorgan
concerts,whichare
heldintheBasilicafrom
timetotime.
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Holy Right Hand
Themummiiedfore-
armofStStephen
(right)
isdisplayedintheHoly
RightHandChapelnear
themainaltar.Itwas
takentoDubrovnikin
CroatiabyBélaIVinthe
13thcenturytoprotectit
fromtheTatars.After
stintsinViennaandat
theRoyalPalaceinBuda,
itwasbroughthereon
20August1945-St
Stephen'sDay.
The Basilica was seriously damaged during World War II, and major
renovation between 1983 and 1989 restored it to its former glory.
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