St. Michael's Cathedral, Alba Iulia

The St. Michael ( rumän. Catedrala Sfântul Mihail ) cathedral in the Romanian county seat Alba Iulia ( Charles Castle ) is the bishop's church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia. The Romanesque- Gothic basilica is one of the most important medieval buildings in Transylvania. For Hungary it is also a national monument and is after its founder, Stephen I. St. Stephen's Cathedral ( Székesegyház a Szent István Király ) called.

History

The complex of cathedral and bishop's residence was built after the founding of the diocese in 1009. Cathedral was severely damaged during the Tartar invasion in 1241 that a new building was needed. This was developed in two phases 1246-1291 and 1320-1356. In the 15th century John Hunyadi certain the cathedral to the family grave lay and let it restore. In the 16th century frescoes inside and a Renaissance chapel on the north side were added. With the advance of the Reformation in the Kingdom of Hungary, mid-16th century, the cathedral was Michael Calvinist and remained there in the Ottoman period. Under Habsburg rule cathedral and diocese were re-Catholicised around 1700. After the incorporation of Transylvania into the Kingdom of Romania, the Romanian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral was built in 1921-1923 in the immediate vicinity.

Architecture and Facilities

St. Michael is a three-aisled basilica with a transept. The massive west building is predominantly Romanesque forms. Of the apparently planned two towers only the southern is executed; its present form is the work of several centuries. In the portal gable are four statues of saints of the 18th century. Arches and vaults of the nave are Early Gothic, High Gothic choir. From the equipment mainly two Romanesque reliefs of the Archangel Michael, a Gothic pulpit and choir stalls Pietà and are remarkable from the Baroque period. The organ with 2209 pipes was built in 1877 by Istvan Kolonics.

The cathedral contains many significant artistic tombs, including by

  • John Hunyadi, Hungarian statesman and military leader († 1456 )
  • Ladislaus Hunyadi († 1457 )
  • George Martinuzzi, cleric and statesman († 1551 )
  • Kendi Ferenc, a Hungarian magnate († 1558 )
  • Jagiellonica Isabella, Queen of Hungary ( † 1559 )
  • Johann Sigismund Zápolya, King of Hungary († 1571)
Romanesque art Gothic art Stephen I of Hungary Protestant Reformation Calvinism Coronation Cathedral, Alba Iulia Isabella Jagiellon
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