Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
pleted by Joseph Krauser in 1905. At the inaugural ceremony Emperor Franz Josef was seen
toglanceanxiouslyatthedome,whosecollapseduringastormin1868hadsetprogressback.
At 96m, it is exactly the same height as the dome of the Parliament building - both allude to
the putative date of the Magyars' arrival in Hungary (896 AD). After recent restoration work
that seemed to take as long as the original construction, the basilica looks very grand today.
Its beauty lies in the combined effect of the frescoes, marble and gilded stucco rather than in
any particular works of art, though the mosaics by Károly Lotz in the cupola are worth ad-
miring. The
organ
, too, is quite splendid, and put to good use every Thursday evening with
a concert at 8pm. In the second chapel to the right is a painting of
King Stephen
offering the
Crown of Hungary to the Virgin, while a statue of him haloed as a saint (but with a sword at
his side) forms the centrepiece of the altar.
For most visitors, though, the chief attraction lies inside the
Holy Right Chapel
, where the
gnarled
mummifiedhandofStStephen
,Hungary'sholiestrelic,resides.Overthecenturies,
the relic was variously kept in Bihar (Transylvania), Ragusa (now Dubrovnik) and Vienna,
before being returned to Buda in 1771. Each year, on August 20, the Szent Jobb (literally,
“holy right”) is paraded with great pomp through the surrounding streets, the anniversary of
his death.
If you've time, make a beeline for the
treasury
(
kincstár
), reachable via a lift next to the
entrance. As well as the usual chalices, monstrances and suchlike, there's a fascinating dis-
play on the life of
Cardinal Mindszenty
, the head of the church who is much honoured for
his challenge to the Communist regime. Photos, robes and mitres, as well as various items
garnered whilst in exile, including a suitcase (presumably the one he took with him), attest to
his life's work.
Finally, you shouldn't miss the grand view over the city from the Panorama
tower
(Körkilátó) reached by lift to the base of the cupola, or by climbing 302 stairs.
Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út
WhileStephenisreveredasthefounderandpatronsaintofHungary,thepantheonofnational
heroes includes a niche for
Endre Bajcsy-Zsilinszky
(1866-1944), after whom the avenue
that runs past the Basilica is named. Originally a right-winger, he ended up an outspoken crit-
ic of Fascism, was arrested in Parliament and shot as the Russians approached.
Bajcsy-Zsil-
inszky út
is the demarcation line between the Lipótváros and Terézváros districts, running
northwards to
Nyugati Station
, an elegant, iron-beamed terminal built in 1874-77 by the
Eiffel Company of Paris.
