Tuesday, October 14, 2014

St. Stephen's Basilica: A Little Taste of Paradise

Why not take a study break to visit St. Stephen's Basilica, right? It's one of the top tourist attractions in Budapest, and it was on my 'Buda Bucketlist.' Midterm week seems like a good of time as any (the best time if you ask me). So on Friday Molly and I decided to take a little trip to Deak Square to see what all the fuss was about. 

St. Stephen's Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest. Named in honor of the first King of Hungary, this basilica is one of the largest churches in Hungary, not to mention one of the most beautiful. It is one of the tallest buildings in Budapest, the other being the House of Parliament which is equally as tall. No other building in Budapest is legally allowed to be taller than these two historical landmarks. 

Now there is more to enjoy than just seeing the outside of this beautiful building. For starters we entered the Basilica to have a look around. Now in case you didn't know, there are plenty of churches in Europe and I have seen my fair share of them on my trip thus far. Going in, I had the mentality of "yeah whatever another church." However, this is a church. Hungarians know how to make a building beautiful. This is my second favorite church I have seen (the first being Notre Dame--duh). The inside is covered in gold and beautiful tapestries and is truly awe inspiring. 

Here's a couple pictures of the outside:






Now what's the deal with this thing below? It's only the Holy Right Hand of Stephen, the first King of Hungary. Now when I say that it's the Holy Right Hand, I truly mean that in this case is the actual right hand of Stephen. Even though it's literal name is the Holy Right Hand, I was expecting maybe a scepter or something. NOT AN ACTUAL HAND.

So how could this King's Hand be in a Budapest church? Isn't that a little creepy? (Yeah, a bit I must admit). Well the hand was found in tact after he died, and it was stolen by a cleric named Mercurius. From there its home was in Transylvania (modern day Romania) where it became the center of a religious cult. It was eventually transferred to Croatia when the Mongols invaded the area. After Ottomans continued to occupy much of the region, the hand was transferred to many places such as Bosnia and Vienna. The Hand was eventually returned to Hungary in 1771 when Queen Mother Theresa. It was removed to the West during WWII but returned to Hungary where it has remained ever since. Cool story, huh? (Yes, I admit a bit creepy).


And of course while I was there, I took a time to light a candle for Don Winslow as I always do.


Now seeing the inside of the church and the Holy Right Hand was not the only thing we did on our visit. You can walk to the top of the basilica and take in the sights of Budapest for a cheap price of 400 HUF (less than $2). Molly and I walked to the top of the basilica. Yes, everyone. I walked. I did not take the elevator. I walked it. It was quite the hike let me tell you. However, as soon as we reached the top it was all worth it. The sights took my breath away (well...it was already taken away from the walk but just imagine). Just look at these pictures!! Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?







Moral of the story: If you are in Budapest (by now you should realize that it should be on your travel Bucket List), go to St. Stephen's Basilica. Not only can you see a Hand dating from the 900s..but you can overlook all of Budapest!! I am utterly in love with this city, and I will be reluctant to ever leave. 

1 comment:

  1. Great pictures. What an amazing view. Although the hand thing is a bit creepy!

    ReplyDelete