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The magnificent architectural
wonders and cathedrals of Hungary
by James Mayfield (Chairman, European Heritage Library)
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this Article • About
the Author • Bibliography/Sources
Despite often being ignorantly
dismissed as insignificant due to its small size and its "Eastern
Bloc" interlude, the proud and unique nation of Hungary
possesses some of the most magnificent works of architectural
mastery in Europe. Many of its most sublime and massive works
are in small towns in the countryside, and are among the oldest
cathedrals in the world that arguably rival even St. Peter's
Basilica in Vatican City.
The tiny city of Esztergom on the Slovak-Hungarian border
reveals this shockingly massive and ancient cathedral atop
a hill. The cathedral is described as "Hungarian Zion"
and the cradle of Hungarian civilization (Click to
enlarge)
Esztergom cathedral is one of the most magnificent and obscure
cathedrals in the world. Hungary's first king, Stephen the
Great (Istvan), was crowned here in 1000 by Pope Sylvester
II. The Mongols and Muslim Ottomans bombarded and burnt the
city to ash, but Esztergom's holy cathedral endured (Click
to enlarge)
The interiors of the Esztergom cathedral rival St. Peter's
Basilica in opulence and preservation. It is also
far older. (Click to enlarge)
The crypt of the Esztergom cathedral is highly archaic and
prodigious. Inside are housed some of Hungary's recent heroes
and protomartyrs (Click to enlarge)
Atop the cathedral, after a breathtaking climb up tiny winding
steps, reveals a paroramic view of Slovakia and Hungary (Click
to enlarge)
The palace seen below was the royal residence of Bela III
of the 12th century, one of Hungary's greatest kings (Click
to enlarge)
Budapest is a treasure trove of artwork, museums, and
cathedrals, all ornately studded with gold and jewels (Click
to enlarge)
Budapest's Hero's Square expresses the Hungarian people's
(Magyars) independent and proud ethnic, cultural, and linguistic
heritage. Included are statues of Hungarian kings and ethnically
Hungarian figures of theological, military, and cultural significance
throughout Europe. In the center are the ancient tribal chiefs
of the Magyars as they moved as semi-nomadic tribes across
Eastern Europe before settling in Hungary proper (Click
to enlarge)
The cathedral of Matthias Corvinus (Matyas Templom) of the
15th century, one of the greatest of Hungary's crusader-kings,
is incredibly unique. Its interior is very dark and deep red,
minimizing visibility. Its exterior is delapidated, and is
undergoing significant reconstruction. (Click to enlarge)
The interior of the Mattyas Templom expresses the ethnic pride
of the Hungarian people (Click to enlarge)
The interior has a bizarrely unique design of an eclectic
array of artistic styles (Click to enlarge)
Outside the Matyas Templom is a statue of Matthias Corvinus
himself, one of the last and most triumphant of Hungary's
sovereigns before its subjugation by Bohemia and the Germans
for 400 years to follow (Click to enlarge)
The cathedral of St. Stephen in Budapest is one of the supreme
cathedrals of all European capitals. It reveals the status
of near worship of St. Stephen the Great (Istvan) in Hungary
today. His mummified hand (shown below) is preserved in a
shrine to this resplendent Hungarian king. His cathedral was
one of the only ones in Europe that the Pope allowed to express
both the glory of the king and the saints of Christendom (Click
to enlarge)
St. Stephen's hand is enshrined in this intricate casket (Click
to enlarge)
A closer view of the first Hungarian king's mummified hand
The Hungarian Parliament in Budapest is easily the most magnificent
government building in the world. It was built after the 1848
revolution against the dominance of the Germans, after which
the Hungarian ethnic group was granted a supposedly co-equal
status of ethnic rights in the Habsburg
Empire. Its exterior is incredibly unique, emphasizing
the independent identity of the Hungarians. Its interior is
bizarrely intricate, almost entirely swaddled with gold and
jewels that must be replaced at regular intervals at state
expense. (Click to enlarge)
The Hungarian crown of St. Stephen, worn by all Hungarian
kings until the dissolution of the Hungarian kingdom in 1918.
The cathedral of Pecs in southern Hungary near Croatia and
Bosnia.
The interior of the massive Pecs cathedral. Although tremendously
delapidated and undergoing reconstruction, it is almost entirely
in gold and has its own catacombs for Hungarian priests and
grandees (Click to enlarge)
________________________________________
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
James Mayfield is a historian
and the Chairman of the European Heritage Library. I have
a Cum Laude BA in History with a Minor in Germanic Studies
(language and history), am presently working for my Masters
in History, and plan to immediately progress to my PhD Doctorate.
I have a special academic interest in Europe's diverse ethnic
identities, languages, and cultures, and the political struggles
of native European and immigrant minority identities. See
my staff entry for more information.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
USED:
-personal photos and observations
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