Prague – St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus Cathedral

Of the many buildings that compose the Prague Castle complex, St. Vitus Cathedral is the most prominent.  It is the spiritual symbol of the Czech Republic and a gothic masterpiece that has been the site of the coronation of many Czech kings and queens.

This is the third church built on this site.  The first was a pagan temple.  Then in 929, a domed rotunda was commissioned by Duke Wenceslas I and consecrated to St. Vitus, because the duke had acquired a holy relic (the arm of St. Vitus) from Emperor Henry I. 

When the Roman Catholic bishopric at Prague was founded in 1060, the rotunda was converted to a basilica with two steeples.  The present-day cathedral was commissioned by Charles IV in 1344 and took nearly six centuries to complete. 

The first builders, Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler, built the chancel with a ring of chapels, St. Wenceslas Chapel, the Golden Portal, and the lower part of the main steeple.

Although Parler began construction of the large southern steeple, he did not complete it. It achieved its originally planned height after being crowned with the Renaissance helmet at its summit in the 16^th century.

Work was intermittent, and for many centuries the church sat uncompleted.  The final phase of construction took place between 1873-1929. 

The western side of the cathedral is marked by two tall towers and the Rose Window, inspired by cathedral windows in Paris.  It dates from the 1920s and depicts scenes from the Creation.  The visitor entrance is on the western side.

The Golden Portal is the former main entrance to the cathedral.  Above it is a 14^th century Venetian art mosaic polished with gold of the Last Judgment, with Jesus surrounded by angels and kneeling Czech patrons.

The royal mausoleum, where kings, queens, and patron saints are interred, is located under in the chancel of the cathedral in front of the high altar. 

Perhaps the most outstanding room in the cathedral, the St. Wenceslas Chapel, where lies the tomb of the patron saint and site of the original rotunda, is decorated with beautiful original 14^th century frescoes of the Passion Cycle and over 1,300 semi-precious stones. 

Another band of decorations commemorates the life of St. Wenceslas and the magnificent chandelier lights the interior.  Every coronation began here when the kings went here to pray.  Understandably, the chapel is not open to visitors, but it can be seen through the entrance.  (Note: September 28 is St. Wenceslas Day.)

A door in the southwest corner of the chapel leads to the Crown Chamber in which the priceless Bohemian Crown Jewels are stored.  The St. Wenceslas Crown dates from 1347 when Charles IV had it made for his coronation.

But don’t count on seeing them…they were displayed only nine times in the 20^th century!  And don’t even try to get near them...they are in an iron safe behind that locked door with seven locks and seven individual key holders who guard the keys! 

Here is a collection of 14 videos of St. Vitus Cathedral all in one place. The second one, “St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague” (1:43) is a good brief overview. 

Budapest – Matthias Church

Matthias Church

Matthias Church, an important site on Castle Hill in Budapest, Hungary, is a gothic Roman Catholic church dedicated to Virgin Mary. Officially named the Church of Our Lady, it was built in the 13th century, but was later named Matthias Church in the 15th century after the much-loved Renaissance king who added the southern bell tower. He not only was crowned at the church, but also was married there twice.

The last two Hungarian Habsburg kings were crowned here also: Franz Joseph in 1867 (Liszt wrote and performed his Coronation Mass for the occasion) and Charles IV in 1916 (this vintage video shows him wearing the royal crown!).

The original church was founded by King Bela IV (1206-1270) after the Mongol invaders left Hungary in 1242 although not much is left of the original structure following wars and extensive reconstructions. The north tower dates to this period. Historians believe a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary has stood on the ground since the reign of St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary in 1015.

The oldest part of the building is the Mary Gate located at the south entrance at the foot of the bell tower. The magnificent gothic stone carving represents the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The church has been restored and remodeled over the years and much of the exterior was completed in the gothic style in 1896. The interior highlights the work of two 19th century Hungarian painters, Károly Lotz and Bertalan Székely.

The interior wall to the left of the entrance represents the Renaissance style, while the wall across from the entrance is representative of Ottoman influence. On the left is the tomb of St. Imre, son of King St. Stephen and heir to the throne who was killed in a hunting accident at age 19.

Also can be seen the Royal Oratory and the tomb of Bela III. Another notable feature is the colorful diamond shaped roof tiles designed by Frigyes Schulek.

On display are many religious relics and replicas of the Hungarian Crown Jewels in the church museums. The replica of the crown was made from detailed photos of the original crown in 1966 as the real Coronation Crown was held for safekeeping in America until its return in 1978.

Also designed in neo-gothic style by Schulek is the St. Stephen Chapel next to the chancel. The seven frescos on the walls and the twelve windows show Hungarian saints, all masterpieces by Székely.

The highlight of the interior is the famous Loreto Chapel, with the statue of the Virgin Mary and Christ made in 1515. When Budapest was under siege from the Turks, locals plastered over the niche covering the statue to protect it.

The Ottomans used the church as their primary mosque during the occupation, but never noticed the covered niche. During the Turkish reign, many of the beautiful frescoes were whitewashed and the fine furnishings were destroyed.

The statue went undiscovered for over a century until a gunpowder explosion at the castle in 1686 uncovered the niche revealing the statue. Now called the “Mary-Wonder” because the sudden appearance of the Virgin Mary frightened the praying Turks and the city fell the same day. Interesting that the church’s official website dispels the belief that this is the original statue!

The main tower of the Matthias Church is the heart of the Buda Castle district and easily seen from many areas of the city.

A floor plan is located here on the official web site. Roll over the blue and orange areas for pop up photos of the interior and exterior. Click on any of the areas to get a full description. The Loreto Chapel is in the lower right.

This video Budapest – St Matthias Church (1:20) is a good brief overview of Matthias Church. Here is a really cool 360-degree view of the interior of the church. Be sure to tilt to get floor and ceiling views too.