St. Stephen's Basilica

The St. Stephen's Basilica (Hungarian: Szent István - bazilika ) lies at the Szent István tér (St. Stephen's Square) in Pest, and since its inauguration in 1905, the largest church in Budapest, Hungary, and co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom- Budapest.

Overview

The interior can accommodate up to 8,500 people space. The church located near the Chain Bridge is dedicated to the first Christian king of Hungary, István. It was originally built by Germans as Pesther St. Leopold parish church, the sub-district is still called Leopoldstadt. St. Leopold of Babenberg is a founder of Austria. At the entrance you will find a statue of St. Gellert with his disciple St. Emeric, son of King Stephen the Saint. Furthermore, the basilica houses many stained glass windows, paintings and sculptures. First Hungarian church building they received by Pope Pius XI. In 1931 the title of minor basilica. In 1987 she became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Danube panorama.

The impressive dimensions of the basilica are especially clear when one enters the interior of the church and the mighty 96 meter high dome looks up, where you will find an impressive mosaic with a representation of God, Jesus and various angels. Already when entering the Basilica through the main portal tympanum catches the eye, in which the Virgin Mary is represented as Patrona Hungariae in circles of different Hungarian saint.

The balustrade of the dome is open to visitors. The way up to either 297 or steps to be taken by a modern lift.

Construction

The construction of the St. Stephen's Basilica had been interrupted during the earthworks, as these were the years of the struggle for freedom 1848/1849. What the construction more difficult designed, was the fact that you had to be dimensioned substantially larger due to the proximity to the Danube, the foundations than we thought. This is a three floors below the basement, which is nearly the size of the church was built above it.

1851 could start with the construction of the basilica after the held in the classical style to plans by József Hild. He died a few years later. 1868 came the collapse of the dome, because the foundations were faulty. The construction management was handed over to Ybl, now far built the church in neo-Renaissance style. As Ybl died a few years later, the construction of József Kauser was completed.

Relics

One among many relics, which are preserved in the church, is the embalmed right hand of King Stephen. To find the " Holy Right " in the chapel of St. Leopold in the church. Every year on August 20, the feast of St. Stephen, thousands of devotees come together to participate in the procession accompanying the relic.

Digger

On 9 December 2006, buried in the St. Stephen's Basilica in the context of a state funeral, the football player Ferenc Puskas, an honor that until then had only kings and saints reserved.