ST. STEPHEN'S BASILICA (SZENT ISTVÁN BAZILIKA)

Dedicated to the founder of the Hungarian Christian nation, St. Stephen, this neo-Renaissance basilica is the work of the architects József Hild, Miklós Ybl and József Kauser. Its construction, which was not easy, took almost 50 years. The work was interrupted by financial difficulties and the death of the architect Hild in 1851. Resumed in 1867, they were delayed again in 1868, when the dome of the cathedral collapsed... It was in 1876 that the basilica began to take on its current appearance, to be consecrated in 1905. Inside, only a few rare rays of sunlight animate the statue of St. Stephen (behind the altar) - by Alajos Stróbl - and the painting by Gyula Benczúr of the king St. Stephen asking for his country the protection of the Holy Virgin. One can admire the mosaics under the dome, and on the left the stained glass windows of the famous work of Miksa Róth. The beautiful collection of ecclesiastical art includes the most revered relic of the Hungarian Catholic Church: the "Holy Dexter", the mummified right hand of Szent István (its authenticity is still in doubt). Preserved as a national treasure, it is exhibited in the Chapel of the Divine Right (Szent Jobb Káplona, open from April 30 to September 30 from 9:30 am to 4 pm, from October¹ to March 31 from 10 am to 4 pm) and is the object of a procession on August 20. Finally, an elevator allows access to the gallery that surrounds the dome of the basilica and offers a beautiful view of the old city.