St Stephen's Basilica is one of the largest churches of Budapest and also an exciting tourist destination.
St Stephen's Basilica Budapest is the biggest Roman Catholic church of Budapest and holds the second highest clerical order in Hungary. The St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest is also the tallest building in Budapest, apart from the Hungarian Parliament Building.
Construction History of St Stephen's Basilica
The construction of the St Stephen's Basilica started in 1851 and it took 54 years before the Church was finally completed in the year 1906. The entire construction took 3 architects since the original design was made by József Hild in 1845 but the construction was delayed due to the 1848-49 Revolution. After Hild passed away, Miklós Ybl took over the charges.
Then in the year 1868, a great mishap took place and the dome of St Stephen's Basilica collapsed, although there were no casualties. Ybl then drew up new design and the building was again completely re-built. Then in the year 1891, Ybl passed away and József Krauser finally completed the Church in the year 1906. The building was severely affected in the Second World War, due to heavy bombings and reconstruction work started from the 1980’s. The reconstruction work has been completed very recently.
Features of St Stephen's Basilica
The St Stephen's Basilica has been named in honor of the first Hungarian King, St. Stephen and the church still has the mummified right hand of St. Stephen, which is regarded as the most pious treasure of Hungary. The Church can occupy about 8500 people at a time and the total height of the building is 96m. The church also houses the biggest and heaviest bell of the country which weighs 9 tons.
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Architectural pattern of St Stephen's Basilica
The architectural pattern of St Stephen's Basilica follows a Neo-classical style which is similar to that of the basilica in Esztergom. The surface of the building follows a Greek cross pattern. Ybl’s touch and his neo-Renaissance approach in the church is clearly visible in the main façade of the church. The interiors of the church have been designed by renowned contemporary artists.
The main altar of the Church has a statue of St. Stephen which is carved out of Carrara marble. A statue of Gabriel Archangel is shown holding the Holy Crown on the head of St. Stephen. This is quite unique since for the first time a human figure is depicted on the altar, but this is done only because it was King Stephen who converted the Hungarian natives to Christians. The Patrona Hungariae Altar shows St. Stephen presenting the Hungarian Crown to Virgin Mary and expecting her to become the benefactor of the Hungarian state. The Chapel of the Holy Right lies behind the sanctuary and has the holy right hand of St. Stephen.
Musical Concerts of St Stephen's Basilica
The most panoramic view from the St Stephen's Basilica of Budapest can be viewed between 1st April and 31st October. Visitors are taken up the left tower with the help of an elevator and from there one can have a magnificent view of the entire city. The Castle hill, Citadel and streets of the town are clearly visible from the cupola. Many musical concerts are held all year round in St Stephen's Basilica. Most of them are held on every Monday at 7.00pm and ticket charges range from 1100-1600 HUF for adults and 400- 800 HUF for students and pensioners. Guided tours in English are also available at the Church which helps travelers to know the complete history of the Basilica.
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