Stories of the Basilica of St. Adalbert - Esztergom, Hungary in Budapest

From any side approaching Esztergom, you can see the monumental cathedral from everywhere. On the fortress mountain, the first church was built by Prince Geza, where the coronation of the first king of Hungary took place on Christmas Day 1000. Istvan founded the Hungarian church, built a basilica in honor of St. Adalbert and elevated in rank above all the Hungarian churches: Caput, Mater ET MAGISTRA ECCLESIARUM HUNGARIE - which means: "Head, mother and teacher of the Hungarian churches." After the Turkish occupation of 150 in the destroyed Esztergom, only in 1824 began the construction of a new main church and in 1956 it was consecrated by Archbishop Janosz of Shitow. On the occasion of this event, Liszt Ferencz wrote the famous Esztergom Mass, Missa Solemnis. The basilica is “the most” of all churches, as it is a temple for the rulers of the Hungarian Catholic churches, bishops-archbishops. With a length of 114 meters, bearing walls of 18 meters, 100 meters high, is the largest church in the country, and in Europe it is preceded only by St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The side chapel on the left side is the most beautiful Renaissance work in Central Europe. Noticeably different materials and decorations used in the work. In the period 1507-1519, Archbishop Bakoc Tomas built a chapel from polished red limestone mined in Schütte-Hungary. The altar is made of red marble from Carrara, in the workshop of Andrea Ferucci in Firenzia. His beauty amazed even Turkish soldiers. Sultan Suleiman converted the chapel into a mosque. The famous traveler of the time, Elvia Celebi, wrote about it with delight. In 1686, after the recapture from the Turks of Esztergom, only this small chapel survived. Jan Sobieski, the Polish king here gave a thank you prayer, just as 23 years later II Rakoczi Ferenc. In Baroque times, an icon was placed on the altar in a frame of silver, with which descriptions of many miracles are associated. During the construction of the current chapel, the architect Park Janosz sawed it into 1600 pieces to move and build into the new church. Above the main altar of the basilica is the Ascension of Mary to Paradise, the work of the Venetian master Michelangelo Grigoletti. This work is the largest painting in the world, painted on canvas from one piece, measuring 13.5 x 6.6 m. The master used the composition of Tiziano for his work. Two other paintings also belong to his works. Near the altar is another attraction: the Byzantine icon of King St. Stephen. A gift from Constantinople Patriarch II Bartolomeos in 2000, on the occasion of the event that the Eastern, Orthodox Church elevated St. Stephen to its saints. On one of the columns holding the dome is a sculpture of the founder of the university, Pazman Peter, one of the bright archbishops of Esztergom, who was called “Cardinal Cicero” because of his excellent oratorical abilities. On the other side is an image of Archbishop Stroble Alajos Shimon Janos. Shimon completed the construction of the Basilica, was the founder of the Christian Museum and assembled a single, accessible to visitors Treasury of the Cathedral. The side chapel of the western part of the church preserves the memory of the royal setting in which St. Stephen was born, now it is a sacramental chapel of the cathedral, open only to worshippers. Sculpture of the altar, the work of Ferenczi Istvan. Istvan depicted a falling body in deacon space, with hands – a gesture of forgiveness – lifted up to the sky. Opposite the altar is the tomb of Archbishop Kara Ambrose. From a height of 123 meters above the Water City, from the panoramic hall located above the Treasury, there is a view of the bend of the Danube, in the foreground of the "Maria Valeria" bridge. Above the choir stands the temple organ. The original organ was built in 1856 by the Salzburg master, Ludwig Moser, who had 64 versions with 3,484 whistles. The organ was badly damaged during World War II. Restoration continues to this day, today the organ has about 800 active whistles.

A Russian tour guide in Budapest-Hungary, Yvette Chery offers a professional individual tour service provided by accredited guides. By booking an individual sightseeing tour of Budapest, you will receive individual/vip class service.