See also: Pest
The World : Europe : Hungary : Buda
« Previous
 
Cityscapes
Freedom Monument
Halaszbastya
MatyasTemplom


·
Home

Buildings and Landmarks
· List by City
· List by State
· List by Country
· List by Continent
· List by Type

Sister Sites
· Chicago Architecture Info
· Houston Architecture Info

· Live Skyline Cam
· Send a free ePostcard!
· Downloads
· Haunted Architecture
· Odd Architecture
· Newsletter
· Urban Poetry
· Doors of San Francisco
· Doors of Paris
· Beyond The Lions
· AIA Sandcastles 2001
· AIA Sandcastles 2000
· Architecture Quotations
· Architecture CDROMs

Site Utilities
· Mobile Edition
· RSS Feed
· Affiliate Program
· Recommend Us
·
FAQ
· Search
· Privacy Statement
· Contact

Free Architecture Newsletter

Advertisement
Mátyás Templom
Also known as: Matthias Church
Officially: Church of Our Lady
Built: ~1200
Type: Holy place

Officially this is called The Church of Our Lady. More colloquially, it is called the Matthias Church because its southern tower bears the coat of arms of Matthias Corvinus. This church was built for Budapest's German residents and was later taken over during the many Turkish invasions of the area. The decorations inside are clearly Byzantine, but maintain their local signatures even though this was the main mosque for the Turkish invaders. This is the church where Franz Joseph was crowned Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1867. Karl IV also received his coronation here in 1916, which is why this is sometimes called the Coronation Church. It is also the location where Sigmund of Luxembourg and Charles Robert were also crowned in the 1300s. Toward the front, you can look way up and to the left to see the private box from where royalty viewed the masses. They could enter and leave in peace through a special portal and enjoy the sermon without being bothered throngs of their subjects. In theory this anonymity could also allow them to snooze through mass, though this has never been documented. However, it has been documented that the royalty would occasionally slip out a little early. Unfortunately, the side chapels and naves have been closed off by iron gates, but you can still peek through to see the tomb of King Béla III, who died in 1196. The sarcophagus of his wife, Anne of Châtillon, is by his side. If you're lucky you might catch an impromptu concert by the men's choir. Be careful when visiting. Even the locals guard their possessions in this dimly-lit church ideal for pickpockets.



 

 
 

Add your review, thoughts, comments, or corrections to this page:
Your name
Your e-mail address
In which country do you live?

How did you hear about this web site?
Your comments:

Be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.
If you submit a question covered in that page, you may not receive a response.

Advertisement

© 1998-2003Atrefaqs
No images or text may be duplicated without permission. See FAQ for details.