Budapest: Szent István Basilika in Pest

This footprint is a little out of order because I wanted to write about our stroll around Pest in general before writing about the only real stop we made this morning.

Szent István Basilika — that would be Saint Stephen’s Basilica in English. And yes, located within Budapest’s UNESCO World Heritage designated area — is named for ‘that’ St Stephen … the founder and first king of Hungary who was canonized after his death in 1038. His right hand, by the way, is in the reliquary.

It was still quite early — just past 9:00a — when we stopped by the church. The square in front was empty, making it easy to get photos without having to dodge people. After a brief discussion and a peek at the interior photos we found online, we decided to go inside. At the ticket office, we checked out the different admission options and settled on the one that included access to the panoramic terrace … which meant that we also got to check out the Treasury.

Though fundraising to build the church started in the 1810s, it wasn’t until 1851 — after the War of Independence — that the construction work commenced in earnest. Despite setbacks — such as the collapse of the cupola due to defective construction — the building was completed over a period of 40 years. It was dedicated in 1905 and designated a minor basilica in 1931.

During the siege of Budapest in 1944-1945, the roof, towers and external walls were all damaged. However, the cellar remained intact and was used not only for the safekeeping of items from the Hungarian National Archives, but also as a refugee shelter. It wasn’t until 1983 that reconstruction work began … lasting some 20 years. In the interim, Pope John Paul II raised the basilica to the rank of co-cathedral.

The interior was worth the cost of admission … mosaics, murals, a marble pulpit with a beautifully carved wood canopy; marble columns topped with gilded capitals; pews with wooden carvings; altar cloths featuring traditional Hungarian lace and embroidery; stained glass windows of saints … and one featuring the Holy Crown of Hungary; a pipe organ from a factory in Pécs; and of course the mummified hand of St Stephen in its ornate reliquary … which, on his feast day, is taken out for a walk … or so I read.

The basilica is described as Budapest’s grandest sanctuary. In many ways, it is. But I must admit that I found the painted walls and frescoes of Matthias Church more intriguing … with a degree of ‘simplicity’ in its ostentation … if that’s even an appropriate description. Of course that’s from the perspective of someone who visits churches simply to see the decorative elements. Parishioners would likely disagree.

After wandering around the church, we went up to the panoramic terrace, which encircles the main cupola of the basilica. One can take an elevator to get up to the terrace, which is nearly 215 feet above the ground … making it the highest lookout point in Pest. The alternative is to walk up 364 steps. We opted for the elevator to go up and the stairs to go down. Even still, from the elevator lobby at the Hall of Knights, we ended up walking up 42 steep, catwalk-style steps to reach the terrace.

From this vantage point, one can walk around the exterior base of the main cupola … no fingerprint-smudged glass to contend with … just open air. The stone balustrade of the terrace was high and made taking certain photos of the aerial views of the city difficult, but I managed, calling on Mui for help when necessary.

Our final stop was the Treasury where a collection of ecclesiastical items are on display … amongst them, a ceramic scale model of the Holy Crown of Hungary; a bronze moulding of a church gate; chalices … including one gifted by Pope John Paul II; candlesticks and censers; vestments … including one made from an Ottoman carpet dating back to 1600. (While the pattern included typical Ottoman designs, the fabric looked more like a tapestry than a carpet.)Read more