Budapest Matthias Church or the Church of our Lady is an important emblem of the Hungarian past and is also a very famous tourist attraction.
Budapest Matthias Church is one of the renowned tourist attraction sites of Hungary. The church is situated at the centre of Buda’s Castle District and is one of the oldest surviving buildings of Budapest. The Budapest Matthias Church has undergone the process of re-construction many times.
History of Budapest Matthias Church
The Matthias Church in Budapest has an interesting past and it was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries. The Matthias Church derived its name from King Matthias, who was the greatest Hungarian King of all times. It was here that the King got married twice and was also the greatest donor for the construction of this Church. In 1309, Charles Robert of Anjou was coronated in this church.
The Matthias Church of Budapest was severely destroyed during the Turkish invasion of Budapest in 1541. The Turks destroyed the frescoes of the church and covered the interiors of the church with rugs, turning the Matthias Church into a mosque. Thereafter when the Christian armies under the leadership of King Leopold I defeated the Turks,the King ordered
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the Church to be re-build as a Jesuit Church. The Matthias Church was then completely re-built in a baroque pattern.
Then in the year 1867, Franz Josef, the Austrian Emperor, and his wife became the head of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Under his rule, the church was again re-built in a neo-Gothic style and the works became so complex that after the Second World War ended, it took 20 years, to re-construct the Church in its actual form and beauty. The new construction was designed by famous Hungarian architect Frigyes Schulek.
Features of Budapest Matthias Church
The side entrance of the Matthias Church has the statue of Virgin Mary kneeling down among other disciples. The interior of the Church is divided into 5 chapels—St. Imre, St. Ladislas, Baptismal, Trinity and Loretta chapel. The northern wall has many golden boxes, relics, precious stones, goblets and other church treasures which are meant for public display. Instrumental musical concerts are held on every Friday evening in the months of July and August from 8pm onwards.
The Budapest Matthias Church stands as a silent witness of the turbulent times faced by the city and yet the Church has maintained its original glory.
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