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, other name = , native_name = hu, Mátyás-templom , native_name_lang = , image = Matthias Church, Budapest, 2017.jpg , imagesize = , imagelink = , imagealt = , caption = Matthias Church in Budapest, 2017. , pushpin map = Hungary Budapest#Hungary , pushpin label position = , pushpin map alt = , pushpin mapsize = , relief = , map caption = , coordinates = , iso region = , osgraw = , osgridref = , location =
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, country =
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
, denomination =
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
, previous denomination = , churchmanship = , membership = , attendance = , website = , former name = , bull date = , founded date = 11th century , founder = Saint Stephen of Hungary , dedication = , dedicated date = , consecrated date = , cult = , relics = , events = , past bishop = , people = , status =
Parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
, functional status = Active , heritage designation = , designated date = , architect = , architectural type = , style = , years built = 11th century
15th century (rebuilt) , groundbreaking = , completed date = , construction cost = , closed date = , demolished date = , capacity = , length = , width = , width nave = , height = , diameter = , other dimensions = , floor count = , floor area = , dome quantity = , dome height outer = , dome height inner = , dome dia outer = , dome dia inner = , spire quantity = , spire height = , tower quantity = 1 , tower height = , materials = , bells = 3 (surviving) , bells hung = , bell weight = , parish = , deanery = , archdeaconry = , episcopalarea = , archdiocese = Esztergom-Budapest , metropolis = , diocese = , province = , presbytery = , synod = , circuit = , district = , division = , subdivision = , archbishop = , bishop = , abbot = , prior = , subprior = , vicar = , exarch = , provost-rector = , provost = , viceprovost = , rector = , dean = , subdean = , archpriest = , precentor = , succentor = , chancellor = , canonchancellor = , canon = , canonpastor = , canonmissioner = , canontreasurer = , prebendary = , priestincharge = , priest = , asstpriest = , honpriest = , curate = , asstcurate = , minister = , assistant = , seniorpastor = , pastor = , assocpastor = , asstpastor = , chaplain = , archdeacon = , deacon = , deaconness = , reader = , student intern = , organistdom = , director = , assistantorganist = , elder = , organist = , organscholar = , chapterclerk = , laychapter = , warden = , verger = , businessmgr = , liturgycoord = , reledu = , rcia = , youthmin = , flowerguild = , musicgroup = , parishadmin = , serversguild = , logo = , logosize = , logolink = , logoalt = , embedded = The Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle ( hu, Nagyboldogasszony-templom), more commonly known as the Matthias Church ( hu, Mátyás-templom), more rarely the Coronation Church of Buda, is a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
church located in the Holy Trinity Square,
Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
, in front of the
Fisherman's Bastion ) , image = Halászbástya 2017.jpg , location = Budapest, Hungary , map_type = Hungary Budapest#Hungary , coordinates = , map_size = , owner = , constructi ...
at the heart of Buda's Castle District. According to church tradition, it was originally built in
Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this later ...
in 1015, although few references exist. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century. It was the second largest church of medieval Buda and the seventh largest church of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom. It is a historic building with an important history. Two Kings of Hungary were crowned within its walls: Franz Joseph I of Hungary and Elisabeth, and
Charles IV of Hungary Charles I or Karl I (german: Karl Franz Josef Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria, hu, Károly Ferenc József Lajos Hubert György Ottó Mária; 17 August 18871 April 1922) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary (as Charles IV, ), King of Croatia, ...
and Zita of Bourbon-Parma. The church was also the location of the "Marian Miracle" of Buda. In 1686, during the siege of Buda city by the Holy League, a wall of the church - used as a mosque by the Ottoman occupiers of the city - collapsed due to cannon fire. It turned out that an old votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall. As the
sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...
of the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the Muslim garrison collapsed and the city fell on the same day.


History

According to the tradition, the first church on the site was founded by
Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
,
King of Hungary The King of Hungary ( hu, magyar király) was the ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 (or 1001) to 1918. The style of title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (''Apostoli Magyar Király'') was endorsed by Pope Clement XIII in 175 ...
, in 1015: this is based on an inscription erected in 1690 inside the church and burned in 1748, which some previous references seem to confirm. However, there is no clear evidence of the foundation by St. Stephen. This building was destroyed in 1241 by the
Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...
; the current building was constructed in the latter half of the 13th century. Originally named after the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, taking names such as "The Church of Mary" and "The Church of Our Lady," since the 19th century the church has been referred to as Matthias Church, after King Matthias, who ordered the transformation of its original southern tower.


Re-foundation in the 13th Century

King
Béla IV of Hungary Béla IV (1206 – 3 May 1270) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1235 and 1270, and Duke of Styria from 1254 to 1258. As the oldest son of King Andrew II, he was crowned upon the initiative of a group of influential noblemen in his fath ...
after the Mongol invasion, between 1255 and 1269, replaced the older, smaller church with a towering three-nave
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
. During the first phase of construction (1255–1260), a main shrine and auxiliary shrines were built, under the direction of Villard de Honnecourt. The first stage of the construction of the main church of Buda is closest relative to the
Lyon Cathedral Lyon Cathedral (french: link=no, Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Lyon) is a Roman Catholic Church architecture, church located on Place Saint-Jean in central Lyon, France. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, and is the seat of ...
. The group of masters consisted of the builders of the Cistercian Monastery of Tišnov,
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
, who travelled to Hungary after the Mongol invasion probably at the behest of the cousin of king
Béla IV Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''wh ...
, Agnes of Bohemia. The reasons for its disintegration of this group around 1260 are unknown. The construction was completed through a second phase, between 1260 and 1269. The work of the second group of masters was already influenced by Northern French religious architecture, mediated by German master builders. Other works of this group are the Franciscan Kecske Church in
Sopron Sopron (; german: Ödenburg, ; sl, Šopron) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő. History Ancient times-13th century When the area that is today Western Hungary was a province of the Roman Empire, a ...
, Hungary, and the Monastery of
Klosterneuburg Klosterneuburg (; frequently abbreviated as Kloburg by locals) is a town in Tulln District in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It has a population of about 27,500. The Klosterneuburg Monastery, which was established in 1114 and soon after gi ...
, Austria, probably related to the Dominican monastery of Margaret Island, Budapest, which was the home of a daughter of
Béla IV Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''wh ...
, St Margaret of the Árpád House. The king, out of regard for his daughter, granted to the monastery the ''
jus patronatus The right of patronage (in Latin ''jus patronatus'' or ''ius patronatus'') in Roman Catholic canon law is a set of rights and obligations of someone, known as the patron in connection with a gift of land (benefice). It is a grant made by the c ...
'' over the Buda church for a period of time. The Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle became the earliest and most complete work of classical Gothic church architecture in Hungary, giving a complete picture of the architectural schools of Béla's era.


14th century: Gothic Hall church

In the second half of the 14th century was rebuilt into a Gothic
Hall church A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an archi ...
. The whole building was remodeled in a mature Gothic style. In 1370 king Louis I of Hungary began with the construction of the iconic Maria Gate at the southwest. The closest parallel to this representative two-door gate is the portal of St. Lorenz Church in
Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
, built fifteen years earlier. During the reign of Louis, a complete redesign of the church
basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
space was begun in the spirit of mature Gothic architecture. The arches of the side naves were raised to the height of the main nave, and huge windows with rich stone lattice were placed on the high walls, thus creating a bright, airy hall. During the reign of king
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
, the side shrines were extended and provided with an octagonal Gothic closure. In the final phase of the construction, the masters of the
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
Parler workshop also worked on the building. Between 1412 and 1433 they ordered the burial chapel of the aristocratic Garai family beside the north side sanctuary at the request of
Nicholas II Garai Nicholas II Garai ( hu, Garai II Miklós, hr, Nikola II Gorjanski; c. 1367 – December 1433) was a powerful Hungarian baron who served as the Palatine of Hungary from 1402 until 1433 and the ban of Macsó, Usora, Só, Slavonia, Croatia and Da ...
. The closest relative of the newly formed Hall church is the Abbey of Hronský Beňadik, current Slovakia.


15th century: Matthias Church

The church reached its peak in medieval prosperity during the reign of king Matthias Corvinus. The king built the southwest bell tower, one of the finest pieces of Gothic architecture in Hungary. According to the coat of arms of Matthias, the south tower, which collapsed in 1384, was rebuilt in 1470. Apart from its destroyed helmet, the bell tower still retains its original form, although in the late 19th century a complete replacement of its stone material became inevitable. However, the head of the great arch supporting the choir still preserves its original stone. Matthias also erected a royal oratory near the southern sanctuary of the church, but it was completely destroyed during the Turkish occupation. At that time, at the end of the 15th century, they began the construction of the northwestern tower, which had already been completed with the exception of the helmet before the Turkish conquest.


16th century: Ottoman invasion

During the first Turkish invasion in 1526, the medieval roof structure and most of its equipment were destroyed. In 1541 the rebuilt Church of the Blessed Virgin was converted into a
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
by the Turks after the final conquest of Buda; in this church the Sultan Suleiman gave thanks to Allah for the victory. Its equipment and altars were discarded and the painted walls were plastered over. While most other churches in Buda were destroyed by the Ottomans, the Church of Mary survived, converted into a mosque and called from this point ''Büyük'' (Great), ''Eski'' (Old) or ''Suleiman Han Cami''. Of course, destruction could not be completely avoided; the Matthias royal oratory, the north tower, the Garai chapel and the side chapels were demolished to use their stones elsewhere.


17th and 18th centuries: Jesuit church

After Buda was retaken (1686), the church first became the property of the
Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
, and then of the Jesuit Order, which restored it in Baroque style. Between 1688 and 1702, a huge dormitory was built on its north side and a three-story seminary on its south side. Between 1702 and 1714, the originally free-standing church was made part of a large building complex. Although the scene of great pastoral work, the church lost almost all its medieval ornamentation, rendering its exterior façade insignificant. In 1690 the
Palatine of Hungary The Palatine of Hungary ( hu, nádor or , german: Landespalatin,  la, palatinus regni Hungariae) was the highest-ranking office in the Kingdom of Hungary from the beginning of the 11th century to 1848. Initially, Palatines were repres ...
Paul I, Prince Esterházy built the new Baroque main altar, and in 1696 built a lobby in front of the main gate. In the same year, Matthias' bell tower was crowned with a Baroque onion dome. The Chapel of Loreto was built in 1707, this received a bell tower in 1719, and soon afterwards its side chapels were erected, and a new sacristy was erected in place of the Bride's Gate. Baroque transformations were conducted in many medieval elements; only the few windows of the Matthias Bell tower guarded the original character of the church's facade. After the dissolution of the Jesuit Order in 1773, the council of the city of Buda owned the church.


19th century: Schulek's reconstruction of the church

Under the leadership of the king
Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
, between 1874 and 1896, a major rebuilding took place, under the architect Frigyes Schulek, which restored the original image of the building. The stone carving was done by Jakab Kauser, a well-known family of architects from Pest. The church was restored to its original 13th-century plan, but a number of early original Gothic elements were uncovered. By also adding new motifs of his own (such as the diamond pattern roof tiles and gargoyles laden spire) Schulek ensured that the work, when finished, would be highly controversial. Schulek freed the church, enclosed in former Jesuit buildings, at the expense of the demolition of adjacent parts, restoring its original, distinctive character. The vault and walls of the building were demolished to the ground in several places to reconstruct the original architectural solutions. In all the church he removed the Baroque joints and sought to restore the ancient ones, but by completely restoring the damaged parts and surfaces. Thus Sigismund's side sanctuaries were demolished and the original, simpler closures restored; the Maria Gate dating back to Louis I of Hungary was reopened, the Matthias bell tower was renovated – at the same time almost all the original main column capitals were replaced with faithful copies. Wherever he could find no clue, the architect introduced new elementsof his own design: he erected a foyer in front of the Maria Gate, he created the new St Stephen's chapel in place of the destroyed Garai chapel, he renovated the Baroque side chapels along the northern nave in a neo-Gothic style; based on old images, he topped the southern tower with the rich neo-Gothic cap and balcony row that we see today. The northern tower was equipped with a late Romanesque style top, a pediment was placed between the two towers. He built the two sacristies and a royal oratory opening to the main apse from the north. The crypt, which had been built in 1780, was also renewed in a free neo-Gothic style.
Bertalan Székely Bertalan Székely (8 May 1835, Kolozsvár, Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary (Now Cluj-Napoca after annexation by Romania following the Treaty of Trianon – 21 August 1910, Budapest) was a Hungarian history and portrait painter who worked in t ...
and
Károly Lotz Lotz Károly Antal Pál, or Karl Anton Paul Lotz (16 December 1833 – 13 October 1904) was a Germans, German-Hungarian people, Hungarian Painting, painter. Career Karl Lotz was born in Bad Homburg vor der Taunus, Höhe, Germany, the 7th an ...
directed, together with Schulek, the interior decoration and furnishing,utilising the remains of the medieval wall paintings. They painted the figurative murals themselves, made the designs for the stained glass windows executed by Ede Kratzmann, and for the new sculptural decoration made by Ferenc Mikula. The altarpieces were painted by
Mihály Zichy Mihály Zichy (; german: Michael von Zichy; 15 October 1827 – 28 February 1906) was a Hungarian painter and graphic artist. He is considered a notable representative of Hungarian romantic painting. He lived and worked primarily in St. Peter ...
(St Imre's chapel) and Gyula Aggházy (Loreto chapel); the bas-relief on the main gate depicting the Our Lady of the Hungarians is by Lajos Lontay. The benches and the organ cabinet were designed by Schulek. The church was completed in 1893; by the time of the Millenary celebrations it shone, though not in its original forms but in all of its old splendour. In 1898 the remains of
Béla III of Hungary Béla III ( hu, III. Béla, hr, Bela III, sk, Belo III; 114823 April 1196) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1172 and 1196. He was the second son of King Géza II and Géza's wife, Euphrosyne of Kiev. Around 1161, Géza granted Béla a ...
and his first wife,
Agnes of Antioch Agnes of Antioch ( 1154 – c. 1184) was Queen of Hungary from 1172 until 1184 as the first wife of Béla III. The accidental discovery of her intact tomb during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 has provided an opportunity for patriotic demonstr ...
, found their final burial place in the chapel of the northern nave of the church. They had been unearthed during the excavations carried out on the ruins of the royal basilica in Székesfehérvár in 1848 (basilica destroyed by the Turks). The Southwest Virgin Mary gate, - which in the tympanum depicts the Virgin Mary falling asleep - is one of the few original medieval remains from the beginning of the 15th century. This is a replica of the 13th century main gate. The Loreto Chapel, of medieval origin, beneath the southern tower preserves a Madonna statue from the end of the 17th century. This work of art was created to replace the original medieval sculpture of the Madonna, which was walled in during the Turkish occupation in the church. Assessing Schulek's rebuilding, he did not appreciate the historic importance of the church, which was in a very poor condition, but replaced many of its historical stones with careful copies. However, thanks to his scientific depth and precise work of form, we can today see the former state of this church in its facade. Reconstructed faithfully and, to a lesser extent, re-imagined in a worthy way, the church is the highest-quality example of Hungarian neo-Gothic architecture, and its interior decoration, one of the highest achievements of Eastern European Art Nouveau.


20th century

In 1936, on the 250th anniversary of the recapture of the Buda Castle, a Hungarian and Italian inscription commemorating the Baron Michele d'Aste was placed on the right-hand apse wall. Lieutenant-Colonel D'Aste, who died during the battle, contributed greatly to the success of the action. The inscription reads as follows: "Lieutenant Colonel Michele d'Aste, Italian Colonel, on September 2, 1686, was among the first to sacrifice his life for the liberation of Buda" In 1927 the "Chapel of the Knights of Malta" was created in an oratory in the northern gallery of the church. Around the altar and along the corridor were the shields of the then Hungarian Knights of Malta. A restoration was made in 2005, after which the church authorities and the Hungarian Association of the Order of Malta restored the custom of exposing the coats-of-arms of deceased knights. Around the altar there are five commemorative shields of noteworthy Chaplains of the Order, among them Cardinal Jusztinián György Serédi, and the martyr Bishop Blessed
Vilmos Apor Vilmos Apor de Altorja (29 February 1892 – 2 April 1945) was a Hungarian Roman Catholic prelate, born as a baron in the noble Apor family, and served as a bishop during World War II. He became famous for protesting against the persecution of ...
. In the foreground one can see the shields of the members from 1925 to 1944, while in the passage from the sacristy to the lower church there are the shields of deceased members after 1945. On All Souls Day each year, after a funeral Mass, the knights place on the wall the coats-of-arms of the members who died during the year. Before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, on the initiative of
Pál Teleki Count Pál János Ede Teleki de Szék (1 November 1879 – 3 April 1941) was a Hungarian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1920 to 1921 and from 1939 to 1941. He was also an expert in geography, a un ...
, a complete renovation of the church was begun, but the war prevented its completion. During the 1944–1945 siege of Budapest by the Allies, the building was severely damaged. The crypt was used by the Germans for their camp kitchen, and after the fall of the city, the Soviets used the sanctuary to stable their horses. War damage was repaired by the Hungarian State between 1950 and 1970. The five-manual organ, which had been severely damaged during the war, was repaired and re-consecrated in 1984. In 1994, an unidentified terrorist detonated an IED at the gate of the building that opens towards the
Fisherman's Bastion ) , image = Halászbástya 2017.jpg , location = Budapest, Hungary , map_type = Hungary Budapest#Hungary , coordinates = , map_size = , owner = , constructi ...
, damaging sixteen of the church's windows. In 1999 the church was - for the first time in its history - handed over to the Catholic Church as parish property. The state financed restoration works from 2005 to 2015.


Historical significance

The new Church of Mary built by
Béla IV of Hungary Béla IV (1206 – 3 May 1270) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1235 and 1270, and Duke of Styria from 1254 to 1258. As the oldest son of King Andrew II, he was crowned upon the initiative of a group of influential noblemen in his fath ...
in 1270 soon became a venue for events of national importance. In 1279 had already held a national council here under the leadership of Lieutenant of the Pope Fülöp Fermói and the Archbishop of Esztergom
Lodomer Lodomer ( hu, Lodomér; died 2 January 1298) was a prelate in the Kingdom of Hungary in the second half of the 13th century. He was Archbishop of Esztergom between 1279 and 1298, and Bishop of Várad (now Oradea in Romania) from 1268 till 1279. H ...
, where they were invited by king
Ladislaus IV of Hungary Ladislaus IV ( hu, IV. (Kun) László, hr, Ladislav IV. Kumanac, sk, Ladislav IV. Kumánsky; 5 August 1262 – 10 July 1290), also known as Ladislaus the Cuman, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1272 to 1290. His mother, Elizabeth, wa ...
. In the aftermath of the throne after 1301, the Czech king Wenceslaus III and Bavarian king Otto III were nominated as kings of Hungary here, and then in 1309 at another national council, papal legate cardinal
Gentile Portino da Montefiore Gentile Portino da Montefiore (also Gentile Partino di Montefiore, la, Gentilis de Monteflorum; ''c''. 1240 – 27 October 1312) was an Italian Franciscan friar and prelate, who was created Cardinal-Priest of Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti b ...
, and Archbishop of Esztergom Tamás crowned here with a new crown to the Anjou king
Charles I of Hungary Charles I, also known as Charles Robert ( hu, Károly Róbert; hr, Karlo Robert; sk, Karol Róbert; 128816 July 1342) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of ...
. The same king was found here between his death in
Visegrád Visegrád (; german: Plintenburg; la, Pone Navata or ; sk, Vyšehrad) is a castle town in Pest County, Hungary. It is north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend. It had a population of 1,864 in 2010. The town is the ...
and his funeral in Székesfehérvár. In January 1412 King
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
for the first time suspended his victory flags on the walls of the church, which had been rebuilt by then, which he captured in the campaign against
Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
. This gesture later created a tradition of
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
. In 1424, in the Corpus Christi feast as a guest of the German-Roman Emperor Sigismund and the Byzantine Emperor
Manuel II Palaiologos Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( gr, Μανουὴλ Παλαιολόγος, Manouēl Palaiológos; 27 June 1350 – 21 July 1425) was Byzantine emperor from 1391 to 1425. Shortly before his death he was tonsured a monk and received the n ...
turned between its walls. After the death of Sigismund in 1438 the Hungarian king
Albert II of Germany Albert the Magnanimous KG, elected King of the Romans as Albert II (10 August 139727 October 1439) was king of the Holy Roman Empire and a member of the House of Habsburg. By inheritance he became Albert V, Duke of Austria. Through his wife (''j ...
and in 1440 the Hungarian king
Władysław III of Poland Władysław III (31 October 1424 – 10 November 1444), also known as Ladislaus of Varna, was King of Poland and the Supreme Duke (''Supremus Dux'') of Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1434 as well as King of Hungary and Croatia from 1440 until h ...
was introduced in the church after their election. In 1444 Władysław III, after his triumphant campaign, here held his solemn thanksgiving with
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
. St John of Capistrano held a recruiting speech here to promote his involvement and recruit troops for the Turkish campaign. In 1455
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (, , , ; 1406 – 11 August 1456) was a leading Hungarian military and political figure in Central and Southeastern Europe during the 15th century. According to most contemporary sources, he was the member of a noble family of ...
received the cross here from the papal legacy of Carvajal and started from here to Belgrade. In 1456
Pope Callixtus III Pope Callixtus III ( it, Callisto III, va, Calixt III, es, Calixto III; 31 December 1378 – 6 August 1458), born Alfonso de Borgia ( va, Alfons de Borja), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 April 1455 to his ...
founded a cathedral chapter near the church. This was abolished during the Turkish occupation, but the provost title of "Pest-újhegyi", named after the Virgin Mary, has been bestowed by the Hungarian apostolate and from 1920 to the Archbishop of Esztergom. When Matthias Corvinus ascended the throne, in 1458 the
Holy Crown of Hungary The Holy Crown of Hungary ( hu, Szent Korona; sh, Kruna svetoga Stjepana; la, Sacra Corona; sk, Svätoštefanská koruna , la, Sacra Corona), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the c ...
was not in Hungary. Therefore, Matthias, returning from his captivity in Prague, solemnly began his reign in the Church of Mary in the form of a "crown without crown": thanking God and Mary, the Grandmother of Hungary, whose inheritance was honored by her father; before the altar he promised to keep the sacred rights, then went to his palace and sat on his throne and began to deal with the affairs of the country. Matthias held both of his weddings in this church: in 1463 with
Catherine of Poděbrady Catherine of Poděbrady (11 November 1449 – 8 March 1464) was Queen of Hungary as the second wife of King Matthias Corvinus. Biography Catherine and her twin sister Sidonie were born at Poděbrady, to the Bohemian king George of Poděbrady an ...
and in 1476 with
Beatrice of Naples Beatrice of Naples (16 November 1457 – 23 September 1508), also known as Beatrice of Aragon ( hu, Aragóniai Beatrix; it, Beatrice d'Aragona), was twice Queen of Hungary and of Bohemia by marriage to Matthias Corvinus and Vladislaus II. S ...
. The south gate, which is still called the Bride's Gate, reminds us of this. The parish priest of the church at that time was
Marcin Bylica __NOTOC__ Marcin Bylica (c.1433 in Olkusz – 1493 in Buda), also known as Martin Bylica and Marcin z Olkusza, was a Polish astrology, astrologer, astronomer, and physician at the court of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary. Biography Son of Bur ...
, a friend of Matthias, an excellent astronomer, and
Regiomontanus Johannes Müller von Königsberg (6 June 1436 – 6 July 1476), better known as Regiomontanus (), was a mathematician, astrologer and astronomer of the German Renaissance, active in Vienna, Buda and Nuremberg. His contributions were instrument ...
. In 1526 the treasures of the church were fled to Bratislava. The
Palatine of Hungary The Palatine of Hungary ( hu, nádor or , german: Landespalatin,  la, palatinus regni Hungariae) was the highest-ranking office in the Kingdom of Hungary from the beginning of the 11th century to 1848. Initially, Palatines were repres ...
István Werbőczy proclaimed here the covenant of the king
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai/ Zápolya János, hr, Ivan Zapolja, ro, Ioan Zápolya, sk, Ján Zápoľský; 1490/91 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Fer ...
with the French, the Pope, Venice and Florence. A few months later, at the feast of King St Stephen, the "counter-king", Habsburg
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I ( es, Fernando I; 10 March 1503 – 25 July 1564) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1556, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1526, and Archduke of Austria from 1521 until his death in 1564.Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabor ...
attended the Mass here. It was used as the main
mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
of Buda by the occupying Turks from 1541 to 1686. Legend has it that
Gül Baba Gül Baba (died 1541), also known as Jafer, was an Ottoman Bektashi dervish poet and companion of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who took part in a number of campaigns in Europe from the reign of Mehmed II onwards. Biography A native of Me ...
, a member of the Bektás
Dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (''tariqah''), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage i ...
Order in the temple, whose
tomb A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called ''immureme ...
(mausoleum) is still near Margaret Bridge, it is still the northernmost Islamic pilgrimage site in the world. The victory of the desperate struggle for Buda was attributed by contemporaries to the miracle of the church's statue of Mary, which was not destroyed by the Turks, but simply bricked up. In 1686, before the last attack of the siege of Vladislaus II. The wall drawn in front of a vow sculpture donated by Vladislaus fell down during a major explosion, and the long-forgotten statue of the Our Lady of the Hungarians appeared in front of the Turks praying in the main mosque (current church of Mary). The triumphant statue of Mary was carried on the streets of Buda in a Thanksgiving procession. Remembering this event, the church is still a place of worship for the image. In 1686 the church was owned by the Jesuit Order and was a very careful landlord in his own way: the 87-year pastoral flower in the history of the church, marked by the Society of Jesus. The spiritually deprived city was cultivated and re-catholicized by their college. The Order (also in the wake of the Counter-Reformation) was strongly attached to the Habsburg Ruler, and there are hardly any Hungarians among their members, as was the newly settled citizenship, as in the Middle Ages, being German. Yet it is thanks to these monks that the cult of the Our Lady of the Hungarians and the idea of the Regnum Marianum (the Kingdom of Mary) and the reverence of the holy kings, which became one of the pillars of Hungarian identity and the spiritual foundation of national independence aspirations. In front of the church, a plague memorial was erected in 1713, the Holy Trinity Column, which served as a model for many similar works in the country. In 1867, as culmination of the
Austro-Hungarian Compromise The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (german: Ausgleich, hu, Kiegyezés) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary ...
, cardinal- Archbishop of Esztergom János Simor crowned here as Hungarian king to the Austrian Emperor
Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
and his wife,
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
with the
Holy Crown The Holy Crown of Hungary ( hu, Szent Korona; sh, Kruna svetoga Stjepana; la, Sacra Corona; sk, Svätoštefanská koruna , la, Sacra Corona), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the c ...
. The '' Coronation Mass'' by Franz Liszt was performed for the first time in this important celebration. On 30 December 1916, Charles IV and his wife, Queen Zita were crowned here, by the cardinal- Archbishop of Esztergom János Csernoch with the
Holy Crown The Holy Crown of Hungary ( hu, Szent Korona; sh, Kruna svetoga Stjepana; la, Sacra Corona; sk, Svätoštefanská koruna , la, Sacra Corona), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the c ...
. In 2000, in the year of the Great Jubilee, remembering the former sending of the crown, the young people of the church made a fresh copy of the
Holy Crown of Hungary The Holy Crown of Hungary ( hu, Szent Korona; sh, Kruna svetoga Stjepana; la, Sacra Corona; sk, Svätoštefanská koruna , la, Sacra Corona), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the c ...
for
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
which him was brought to the Vatican on a walking pilgrimage blessed in Rome and crowned with the statue of
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
on the main altar at the Assumption of the Pope.


Pulpit

The pulpit of the church was built between 1890 and 1893 during the extensive reconstruction of the building. It was designed by Frigyes Schulek with the help of art historian Béla Czobor who contributed to the draft of the iconographic plan. The statues were carved by Ferenc Mikula, the abat-voix was made by Károly Ruprich. The pulpit was built of sandstone, and the surfaces are entirely covered with Neo-Romanesque ornamental painting including the statues. There is a wrought-iron rail at the bottom of the steps. The Gothic Revival abat-voix, resembling a medieval tower, was carved of oak and the statue of the Good Shepherd on the top was made of linden. The platform of the pulpit is supported by an outer ring of arches and a massive central pillar. The most interesting part of the structure is the sculptural decoration of the parapet with the statues of the four evangelists and the four Latin doctors of the church standing under the arches of a blind arcade. The sequence of the figures is: * ''St John with the eagle'' * ''St Augustine with the boy'' * ''St Luke with the ox'' * ''St Ambrose with the beehive'' * ''St Mark with the lion'' * ''St Gregory the Great with the dove'' * ''St Matthew with the angel'' * ''St Jerome with the lion'' The two bishops and the saintly pope are portrayed in the traditional attire of their office, and Jerome is wearing cardinal robes. The parapet is supported by brackets decorated with grotesque heads in medieval style, and framed by two bands of carved vegetal decoration (vine and acanthus leaves). Previous pulpits The first recorded pulpit was erected in 1693 after the reconversion of the building from mosque to church under the ownership of the Jesuits. Nothing is known about its appearance. A new Baroque pulpit was installed in 1769 by Countess Erzsébet Berényi, the owner of the Zichy estate of
Óbuda Óbuda was a town in Hungary that was merged with Buda and Pest on 17 November 1873; it now forms part of District III-Óbuda-Békásmegyer of Budapest. The name means ''Old Buda'' in Hungarian (in German, ''Alt-Ofen''). The name in Bosnian ...
. This was probably made by Károly Bebo, the stewart and sculptor of the estate who made several high-quality Baroque pulpits in the region, including those in the parish church of Óbuda and the Trinitarian church of Kiscell. His work in the Matthias Church was recorded by a lithograph of Gusztáv Zombory (1857) and the only surviving photograph of the interior of the church before its extensive reconstruction. Bebo's lost work should have been a fine example of Central-European Baroque wood carving. The pulpit itself was decorated with reliefs and two statues of prophets (perhaps Moses and Aaron) and two angels sitting on its ledge. The canopy of the abat-voix was supported by two flying angels. There was a statue of the Risen Christ on the top surrounded with cherubs. The old pulpit was demolished by Frigyes Schulek immediately after the closure of the church in 1876 at the start of the long reconstruction. Only two figures of flying cherubs survived, which were probably parts of the structure, the first one in the
Hungarian National Gallery The Hungarian National Gallery (also known as Magyar Nemzeti Galéria), was established in 1957 as the national art museum. It is located in Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary. Its collections cover Hungarian art in all genres, including the works ...
and the other in the collection of the parish church.


Church Bells

Today the church has 7 bells. Six of them are located in the bell tower and the last damaged bell hangs in the cavalry tower. Three of the tower's bells are historic bells (from years 1723, 1724 and 1891). The church got four new bells in 2010, then the Szt. Károly bell sound correction took place.


Museum

It is home to the Ecclesiastical Art Museum, which begins in the medieval crypt and leads up to the St. Stephen Chapel. The gallery contains a number of sacred relics and medieval stone carvings, along with replicas of the Hungarian royal crown and coronation jewels.


Honors

Stamps issued by Hungary; on 24 January 1927, on 26 March 1926 and in 1930.


Gallery

File:MatyasTemplomFotoThalerTamas10.JPG, Matthias Church and the Holy Trinity Square File:MatyasTemplomFotoThalerTamas8.JPG, Altarpiece File:MatyasTemplomFotoThalerTamas15a.JPG, God's Lamb window, below "Like the beautiful believer's stream" File:MatyasTemplomFotoThalerTamas2.jpg, Detail of the tower File:002 - 14.07.16 - Budapest - Matthiaskirche.jpg, South side in the night File:03 2019 photo Paolo Villa - F0197909 bis- Budapest - Danubio, Chiesa calvinista di Buda, Bastione dei pescatori, San Mattia - notte - luci.jpg, View from Danube in the night File:Budapest Matthiaskirche 5876.jpg, Facade in the night File:Beautiful view of budapest mathew chruch.jpg, Beautiful view of the Matthias Church


See also

*
List of Jesuit sites This list includes past and present buildings, facilities and institutions associated with the Society of Jesus. In each country, sites are listed in chronological order of start of Jesuit association. Nearly all these sites have bee ...


References


Bibliography

* * József Csemegi: A Budavári Főtemplom (Képzőművészeti Alap Kiadóvállalata, Budapest, 1955) * Dr. István Czagány: A Hunyadi-ház tagjainak eredeti arcképei a budavári főtemplomban. In: Művészettörténeti Értesítő 1976. 2. ISSN 0027-5247 * Dr. István Czagány – Gink Károly: A budavári Mátyás-templom (Budapest, 1984) * Géza Entz: A budavári Nagyboldogasszony-templom és a Halászbástya (Corvina, Budapest, 1974) * Dr. János Fábián: A budavári Mátyás-templom (Budapest, é. n.) * M. Marianna Takács: A Budavári Mátyás-templom. A Budapesti M. Kir. Pázmány Péter Tudományegyetem Művészettörténeti és Keresztényrégészeti Intézetének dolgozatai 64. Budapest, 1940 * Balázs Mátéffy: A Koronázó Főtemplom (Corvinus Kiadó, Budapest, 2002) * Balázs Mátéffy – György Gadányi: Élő Kövek – az ismeretlen Mátyás-templom (Viva Média-Incoronata, Budapest, 2003.) * Monumenta Ecclesiæ Strigoniensis. Ordine chron. disposuit, dissertationibus et notis illustravit Dr. Ferdinandus Knauz, Strigonii, Tom. I. 1874, II. 1882, III. 1924 * Dr. Antal Nemes: A Budavári Koronázó Főtemplom (Budapest, 1893) * Dr. Antal Nemes: Adalékok a Budavári Főtemplom történetéhez (Budapest, 1932) * Lajos Némethy: A Nagyboldogasszonyról nevezett budapestvári főtemplom történelme (Esztergom, 1876) * Frigyes Pogány (szerk.): Budapest Műemlékei I. (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1955)


External links


Official site

Accommodation next to Church
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