Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mátyás Church
The profusion of architectural styles in Mátyás Church betrays
both the building's and the city's troubled history. After the
original church was destroyed in 1241, a new church, part of
Béla IV's fortiied city, was built from 1255 to 1269. Much of this Gothic build-
ing remains, though it was Mátyás Corvinus, after whom the church is named,
who expanded it in the 15th century. The inal phase of restoration took place
from 1873 to 1896, when Frigyes Schulek redesigned it in the Neo-Baroque style.
Rose window
Top 10 Features
1BélaTower
2HiddenImagesofKingLouis
3MaryPortal
4Stained-GlassWindows
5LoretoChapelandBaroque
Madonna
6SundayMass
7TombofKingBélaIIIand
AnnedeChâtillon
8Altar
9RoseWindow
0Roof
Béla Tower, Mátyás Church
A programme giving
times and dates of all
upcoming classical
concerts, held two or
three evenings a
week during the
summer, is available
at the main entrance
to the church.
!
Béla Tower
NamedafterBélaIV,
thestoutBélaTowerretains
anumberofitsoriginal
Gothicfeatures,thoughthe
spireandturretsarerecon-
structions.Notehowthe
toweristheleastembel-
lishedpartofthechurch.
Just across the square
in front of the church
and a short walk
along Szentháromság
utca, is Ruszwurm,
one of Budapest's
most historic cafés
(see p66)
.
•Map H2
• I, Szentháromság tér 2
• 355 56 57
• Open 9am-5pm
Mon-Sat, 1-5pm Sun
(may close Sat pm in
summer for weddings)
• Adm Ft600
• Dis. access
• www.matyas-
templom.hu
Central nave, Mátyás Church
@
Hidden Images of
£
Mary Portal
King Louis
Whileenteringthechurch
throughthemainportal,turn
aroundandlookuptosee
imagesofKingLouisthe
Greatandhiswifeon
theuppermostpillar
besidetheportal
(above)
.These
sculptures
datefromthe
14thcentury.
TheAssumptionof
theBlessedVirginMary
istheinestexampleof
Gothicstonecarvingin
Hungary.FrigyesSchulek
reconstructedthepor-
tal
(left)
inthe19th
century,using
survivingfrag-
mentsofthe
originalbuilding.
24
St Stephen irst raised a church here around 1015, though that early
church, known as St Mary's, was destroyed by the Tatars in 1241.
