Parliament & Around - Budapest - page 207

TOP SIGHT
BASILICA OF ST STEPHEN

The Basilica of St Stephen is the most important Catholic church in all of
Hungary, if for no other reason than that it contains the nation's most revered
relic: the mummified right hand of the church's patron. The church is also the
Budapest seat of the shared Metropolitan Archdiocese of Esztergom-Bud-
apest.

The neoclassical cathedral, the largest in Hungary, is in the form of a Greek cross and can
accommodate 8000 worshippers. It was originally designed by József Hild, and though
work began in 1851 the structure was not completed until 1905. Much of the interruption
had to do with the fiasco in 1868 when the dome collapsed during a storm. The building
then had to be demolished and rebuilt from the ground up by Hild's successor, Miklós Ybl.
It underwent a 20-year renovation from 1983 to 2003.
The facade of the basilica is anchored by two large bell towers , one of which contains a
bell weighing 9.25 tonnes, a replacement for one looted by the Germans during WWII. Be-
hind the towers is the 96m-high dome (adult/child 500/400Ft; 10am-5.30pm Apr-Jun, to
6.30pm Jul-Sep, to 4.30pm Oct-Mar) , with statues of the four Evangelists filling its niches. The
top of the dome can be reached by two lifts and 40 steps (or 302 steps if you want to walk)
and offers one of the best views in the city.
The basilica's interior is rather dark and gloomy, Károly Lotz's golden mosaics on the in-
side of the dome notwithstanding. Noteworthy items include Alajos Stróbl's statue of the
king-saint on the main altar and Gyula Benczúr's painting of St Stephen dedicating Hungary
to the Virgin Mary, to the right of the main altar.
Behind the altar and to the left is the basilica's major drawcard: the Holy Right Chapel
(Szent Jobb kápolna; 9am-4.30pm Mon-Sat, from 1pm Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Mon-Sat, from 1pm
Sun Oct-Mar) . It contains the Holy Right (also known as the Holy Dexter), the mummified
right hand of St Stephen and an object of great devotion. It was restored to Hungary by
Habsburg empress Maria Theresa in 1771 after it was discovered in a monastery in Bosnia.
Like the Crown of St Stephen, it was snatched after WWII but was soon returned home. Put
a 200Ft coin in the slot to Illuminate the hand for closer inspection. (Look at it from the
right-hand side to see its knuckles.)
To the right as you enter the basilica is a small lift that will bring you to the 2nd-floor
treasury (kincstár; adult/child 400/300Ft; 10am-5.30pm Apr-Jun, to 6.30pm Jul-Sep, to 4.30pm