Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hungarian National Museum
Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum • VIII, Múzeum körút 14-16 • Tues-Sun 10am-6pm • 1100Ft; audio-guide 750Ft •
1 327 7773, hnm.hu
Like the National Library in the Royal Palace, the Hungarian National Museum was the
brainchild of Count Ferenc Széchenyi (father of István), who donated thousands of prints and
manuscripts to form the basis of its collection. Housed in a Grecian-style edifice by Mihály
Pollack, it was only the fourth such museum in the world when it opened in 1847, and soon
afterwards became the stage for a famous event in the 1848Revolution , when Sándor Petőfi
first declaimed the National Song from its steps, with its rousing refrain “Choose! Now is
the time! Shall we be slaves or shall we be free?” (“Some noisy mob had their hurly-burly
outside so I left for home”, complained the museum's director at the time.) Ever since, March
15 has been commemorated here with flags and speeches.
The basement and ground floor
The museum has two lower levels devoted to medieval and Roman stonework - the latter
starring a second-century AD mosaic floor from a villa at Nemesvámos-Baláca in western
Hungary.
The first floor
Most visitors make an immediate beeline for the darkened room to the left of the foyer, which
displays the coronationmantle , allegedly donated to the Basilica of Székesfehérvár by King
Stephen in 1031. Beautifully embroidered with gold thread, this exquisite silk robe was con-
sideredtoofragiletobetransferredtotheParliamentbuildingwhentherestoftheCoronation
Regalia was moved there in 2000.
To the right of the foyer is the archeological exhibition, entitled Between East and West ,
which covers the pre-Hungarian peoples of the Carpathian Basin. Highlights of this outstand-
inghoard,roughlyinchronologicalorder,includeanimalfigurinesandanthropomorphicurns
from the Copper Age, two magnificent bronze spoked wheels, and, from the Iron Age, a fine
assortment of gilded helmets, many of which were unearthed from Március 15 tér. Winding
up with the Avars - the last peoples here before the Magyars arrived in 804 AD - look out
for a gorgeous 23-piece gold dinner service belonging to an Avar chieftain.
The second floor
The main exhibition upstairs traces Hungarian history from the Árpád dynasty to the end
of Communism, starting to the left side of the rotunda at the top of the stairs. Room 1 con-
tains Béla III's crown, sceptre and sword, and in room 2, there's a gilded reliquary bust of St
László and a wall fountain from the royal palace at Visegrád. Don't miss the ivory saddles
inlaid with hunting scenes in room 3, the suit of armour of the child-king Sigismund II in
room 5, or the huge carved Renaissance pew in room 6. Turkish weaponry and the ornate
tomb of Count György Apafi in room 7 speak of the 150 years when Hungary was divided
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