Saturday, July 01, 2006

Matyas Templom

My first stop in Budapest was to Matyas Templom, or Matthias Church, for a choral concert. A truly reverent setting for some wonderful choral anthems.

For some reason, I could not remember having seen this church on my first visit but I feel certain I must have seen it. Somehow, I simply did not remember the ornate neo-Gothic architecture, the colored tile roof, or the wonderful handpainted interior. FAB-U-LOUS!

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This church dates back to the 13th century, having been built as a mosque. Matthias church was sadly destroyed on a number of occasions with the last major reconstruction being in the 19th century, giving us the architecture we see today. The church was also bombed quite heavily during WWII. Only the south porch survives from the original structure.

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Hapsburg emperors were even crowned kings of Hungary here. Interior of Matthias Church.

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