Matthias Church, Budapest

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Matthias Church (Mátyás templom) at Szentháromság tér (Holy Trinity Square)

Currently undergoing extensive renovation

Officially named as the Church of Our Lady, it has been popularly named after the greatest Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus, "Matthias the Just", known in Hungarian as Mátyás király, who ordered the construction of its original southern tower.

According to a legend our first king St. Stephen started to built the church, but it's not been proved yet. Historical proof shows that King Béla IV founded the church in 1255 after he moved his court up to Castle Hill from Óbuda.

However, its name comes from the fact that the popular King Matthias held both of his weddings here. The main eastern gate and the long apse are 13th century, the central part was built around 1400. Every king and era added something to the church.

In 1541 the Turks captured Buda and transformed it into a mosque. They celebrated their victory here. Luckily the church's treasures had already been moved from Budapest Castle District to Bratislava.

After the Habsburgs recaptured Buda in 1686, Matthias Church came under Jesuit patronage. Frigyes Schulek rebuilt Matthias Church n neo-Gothic style at the turn of the last century. He incorporated the 13th century remains in the new design. You can view a King Matthias' small collection of religious treasures in the church museum.

The interior is very striking. Despite the vaulting and the stained glass windows, it's nothing like a Gothic cathedral, it has a sort of mystic, Eastern athmosphere. The wall paintings are scenes from the Bible and events from Hungary's history.

Photo 1447, Sept 2008