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Budapest Matthias Church 
The Mattias Church is a Catholic church located in the Buda Castle district and was a site for the coronation of two kings of Hungary. A church has been on the current site in the heart of Budapest's Castle District since 1015 when one was built there by Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary, and named “The Church of Our Lady” although it is also known as " The Church of Mary ". In 1241 it was destroyed during the Mongol invasion. Following the Mongol withdrawal, during the period of between 1255 and 1269, a larger church was constructed. The current building was built in the second half of the 14th century in a mature Gothic style. It was King Louis I (1342-1482) who in 1370 began with the construction of the iconic Maria Gate at the southwest. It was during the reign of Louis I that a complete redesign of the church basilica space was begun. The arches of the side naves were raised to the height of the main nave, and large windows with stone lattice were placed on the high walls, which created a bright, airy hall. During the first Turkish invasion in 1526, the building underwent a great deal of damage which included the destruction of the roof structure. It was rebuilt and in 1541 it was converted into a mosque by the Turks. The churches equipment and altars were discarded, and the painted walls were plastered over; the Matthias royal oratory, the north tower, the Garai chapel and the side chapels were demolished in order to use their stones elsewhere. It was in this building that Suleiman the Magnificent gave thanks for the victory. In the late 19th-century, the whole building was extensively restored reinstating its original 13th-century plan. This entailed the vault and walls of the building being taken back to ground level in several places to reconstruct the original layout. It was at this time that a foyer was placed in front of the Maria Gate, and the new St Stephen's chapel was constructed to replace the Garai chapel that had been destroyed.  The Baroque side chapels along the northern nave were replaced with those in a neo-Gothic style. The southern tower was topped with the rich neo-Gothic cap and balcony row. The northern tower was equipped with a late Romanesque style top, a pediment was placed between the two towers. Two sacristies and a royal oratory opening to the main apse from the north were constructed. The crypt, which had been built in 1780, was also renewed in a free neo-Gothic style. The interior decoration and furnishing were produced during this period utilising the remains of the medieval wall paintings. The church was completed in 1893. Approaching the church, a number of features are noticeable, one of which is the roof which is covered with hexagonal patterns of coloured tiles made in the famous Zsolnay porcelain factory, which is still trading today. The church has several towers: The tallest of which is the Matthias Tower, the great bell tower which rises to a height of 78.16 meters and holds six bells, a seventh, a damaged bell, hangs in the cavalry tower. Three of the tower's bells date from 1723, 1724 and 1891. The other four are new bells which were installed in 2010. The Bela Tower dating from 1470 is noticeable with its spire with multicoloured roof tiles.  The Hussar Tower is the small black copper-covered wooden structure that sits on the spine of the roof like a Hussar sits on his horse, hence its name. During the course of renovation of the church, a time capsule was found in a copper barrel, the content of which is displayed in the lower room of the tower. In 2013 two new capsules were placed in the barrel, but their content has not been disclosed. At the top of one of the other towers is a raven with a golden ring in its beak. The reason for this is that the raven was the heraldic animal of King Matthias’ family.  Approaching from the Holy Trinity Square, the Matthias Tower looms upwards on the right side of the main façade.    The interior has floor-to-ceiling frescoes and beautiful stained-glass windows and wooden pews. The columns are adorned with painted leaves and geometric motifs in a variety of colours.  Its three naves are separated by massive columns all of which create a sense of grandeur, and its colouring captivate the visitor as soon as they enter.  The pulpit is situated in the sanctuary, near the altar. The first recorded pulpit was erected in 1693 after the reconversion of the building from mosque to church. The current one was built between 1890 and 1893 during the extensive reconstruction of the building during the 19th-century renovation of the church and is in the Gothic Revival style. Built of sandstone the surfaces are covered with Neo-Romanesque ornamental painting including the statues. These are the figures of the four evangelists and their symbols: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the Fathers of the Church; Saints Jerome; Augustine, Ambrose and Pope Saint Gregory.  Within the church are 13 altars in the various chapels. The gilded Baroque main altar, built in 1690, is topped by the coronated Virgin Mary. It depicts scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, the church’s patron and is located in the sanctuary  Around the perimeter of the church are another 12 altars located in beautiful chapels. The Chapel of Loreto was built in 1707 although is of medieval origin. The chapel houses a statue of the Madonna which was created to replace the original medieval sculpture of the Madonna at the end of the 17th-century.    The elaborate tomb is that of King Béla III and his wife Anne de Chátillon and is the only medieval tomb of a king that has survived. It was relocated to this chapel in 1898. The lion laying at the king’s feet symbolizes power and the dog at his wife’s feet stands for faith and loyalty. Behind and above the tomb are the twelve apostles placed in a line.  Other chapels worth seeing are the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Chapel of St. Ladislaus.   Within the church is a small museum of ecclesiastical objects. These include vestments from the 18th and 19th Centuries, and a selection of chalices.   |
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All Photographs were taken by and are copyright of Ron Gatepain
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