Page 68 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

66  BUD APEST AREA B Y AREA C ASTLE DISTRIC T  67

w Mátyás Church . Tomb of King Béla III VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
and Anne de Châtillon
The Parish Church of Our Lady Mary was built The remains of this royal Practical Information
on this site between the 13th and 15th couple were transferred from Szentháromság tér 2. Map 1 B4.
Székesfehérvár Cathedral to
centuries. Some of the architectural style dates Mátyás Church in 1860. They lie Tel (20) 959 44 19. Open 9am–
from the reign of Sigismund of Luxembourg, beneath an ornamental stone 5pm Mon–Fri, 9am–1pm Sat,
1–5pm Sun (opening times
but the church’s name refers to King Mátyás canopy in the Trinity Chapel. may vary due to religious and
Corvinus, who greatly enlarged and embellished cultural events; call ahead to
it. Much of the original detail was lost when check). 7 &
the Turks converted the church into the Great Transport
Mosque in 1541. With the liberation of Buda, Rose Window @ 16 from Deák tér, 16, 16A &
modifications were made by the Jesuits as part Frigyes Schulek faithfully 116 from Széll Kálmán tér
of the restoration process, largely in the Baroque repro duced the medieval
stained-glass window that
style. The church again sustained damage in was in this position during Pulpit
1723, and was restored in the Neo-Gothic style the early Gothic era. The richly decorated
by Frigyes Schulek in 1873–96. The gallery pulpit includes the
carved stone figures
rooms house the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art. of the four Fathers of
the Church and the
four Evangelists.
Béla Tower
This tower is named after the
church’s founder, King Béla IV.
It has retained several of its
original Gothic features.

Stained-Glass Windows
Three arched windows
on the south elevation
have beautiful
19th-century stained
glass. They were
designed by Frigyes
Schulek, Berta lan
Székely and Károly Lotz.

. Mary Portal
This depiction of the Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary is the most
. Baroque Madonna magnificent example of Gothic
According to legend, the stone carving in Hungary. Frigyes
original statue was set into a Schulek reconstructed the
wall of the church during the portal from fragments.
Turkish occupation. When that
wall was destroyed in 1686, the
Madonna miraculously c. 1370 Church 1464 Thanksgiving Mass 1686 After liberation Holy figures on
appeared. The Turks took this redesigned following the election of of Buda from Turkish the pulpit
as an omen of defeat. as Gothic Mátyás Corvinus as king rule, the church is 2014 Full
hall-church 1541 Turks restored with a reconstruction
under Louis I Baroque interior
convert church of the building
into a mosque completed
KEY Main Portal 1250 1350 1450 1550 1650 1750 1850 1950 2050
Below the arches of
1 The roof is decorated with the west entrance is a 1309 Coronation 1526 Cathedral 1896 Frigyes Schulek completes
multicoloured glazed tiles. 19th-century bas-relief of of the Angevin burned in the first the recon struction of the church 1970 Final details
attack by Turks
2 The main altar, created by the Virgin and Child king Charles Robert in the Neo-Gothic style are completed in
Frigyes Schulek, was based on between two angels. The 1255 Church originally 1470 Mátyás Tower postwar rebuilding
Gothic triptychs. pyrogranite ceramics founded by King Béla IV is completed after 1945 Church is severely damaged by programme
German and Russian armies
were made by Zsolnay. after the Mongol invasion its collapse in 1384
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285
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