Did You know?

…that St. Stephen’s Coronation Robe was made in 1031?  …that St. Stephen’s right hand is paraded around the city on the 20th of August?  …how poor Bishop St. Gellert died?  …that the statue of St. Stephen on Horseback is somewhat misleading?  …that St. Matthias Church was once a mosque?

…that St. Stephen’s Coronation Robe was made in 1031?
That makes it the most ancient piece of embroidery still existing today. The lavishly decorated Byzantine silk mantle was originally made in Veszprém, and features St. Stephen, who is celebrated nation-wide on August 20th. It was later donated to the holy church of Székesfehérvár. Nowadays you can go to admire it in the Hungarian National Museum’s special room.

…that St. Stephen’s right hand is paraded around the city on the 20th of August?
Forget jelly, ice cream and clowns, Hungarians celebrate their nation’s birthday by taking the bejeweled, mummified national relic, somehow preserved since the 11th century, out of its regular home, St. Stephen’s basilica, and showing it to all the locals around town after a celebratory religious ceremony.

…how poor Bishop St. Gellert died?
Popular legend would have it that the Bishop was rolled down Gellert hill during a Pagan rebellion after St. Stephen’s death. The reason? He was, of course, a key figure in the conversion of Hungarians to Christianity, and the tutor of St. Stephen and his son Emeric. At least his giant statue still raises its cross to the heavens on Gellert hill today.

…that the statue of St. Stephen on Horseback is somewhat misleading?
Between the Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church, stands the statue of St. Stephen, complete with a double cross, halo and of course the Hungarian holy crown. But wait a minute, the Hungarian holy crown wasn’t declared as such until the mid 13th century, some 200 years after St. Stephen’s death. A point that artistic integrity chose to overlook, it seems. 

…that St. Matthias Church was once a mosque?
In fact, it was the city’s main mosque following the capture of Buda in 1541 during the Turkish occupation. At that time, the relics and treasures of the church, founded by St. Stephen in 1015, were shipped to modern day Bratislava, and its original frescoes and furniture stripped out. Nowadays it boasts some of the city’s most amazing architecture and art.

Related

• Get Outside and Play! – Gellért Hill 1 January 2012, Sunday – 31 December 2012, Monday
• St. Martin’s Day 2 November 2011, Wednesday
• Happy 1011th Birthday! 9 August 2011, Tuesday
• Free guided tours in ENG at the HNG! 4 August 2011, Thursday – 27 August 2011, Saturday
• Have a Bloomin’ Good Time! 22 July 2011, Friday
• Art Nouveau Splash 23 July 2011, Saturday 09:45 – 3 September 2011, Saturday
• Night of Churches 25 June 2011, Saturday 18:00 – 26 June 2011, Sunday 21:00
• Europe Through a Lens 3 June 2011, Friday 11:00 – 21 August 2011, Sunday