Matthias Church
The Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle (Hungarian: Nagyboldogasszony-templom), more commonly known as the Matthias Church (Hungarian: Mátyás-templom), more rarely the Coronation Church of Buda, is a Catholic church located in the Holy Trinity Square, Budapest, Hungary, in front of the Fisherman's Bastion at the heart of Buda's Castle District. According to church tradition, it was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015, although few references exist. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century. It was the second largest church of medieval Buda and the seventh largest church of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom.
Matthias Church | |
---|---|
Church of Our Lady of Buda Hungarian: Budavári Nagyboldogasszony-templom | |
Hungarian: Mátyás-templom | |
Matthias Church in Budapest, 2017. | |
Matthias Church Matthias Church | |
47°30′07″N 19°02′03″E | |
Location | Budapest |
Country | Hungary |
Denomination | Catholic |
Website | www.matyas-templom.hu |
History | |
Status | Parish church |
Founded | 11th century |
Founder(s) | Saint Stephen of Hungary |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Years built | 11th century 15th century (rebuilt) |
Specifications | |
Number of towers | 1 |
Bells | 3 (surviving) |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Esztergom-Budapest |
Clergy | |
Rector | László Süllei |
Laity | |
Organist(s) | Bertalan Hock |
It is a historic building with an important history. Two Kings of Hungary were crowned within its walls: Franz Joseph I of Hungary and Elisabeth, and Charles IV of Hungary and Zita of Bourbon-Parma.
The church was also the location of the "Marian Miracle" of Buda. In 1686, during the siege of Buda city by the Holy League, a wall of the church - used as a mosque by the Ottoman occupiers of the city - collapsed due to cannon fire. It turned out that an old votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall. As the sculpture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the Muslim garrison collapsed and the city fell on the same day.