The first king St. Stephen started to build the church, but it hasn’t been proved yet. Historical proof shows that King Béla IV founded the church in 1255 after he moved his court up to Castle Hill from Óbuda.
However, its name comes from the fact that the popular King Matthias held both of his weddings here.
The main eastern gate and the long apse are 13th century, the central part was built around 1400. Every king and era added something to the church.
In 1541 the Turks captured Buda and transformed it into a mosque. They celebrated their victory here.
In 1541 the Turks captured Buda and transformed it into a mosque. They celebrated their victory here.
Luckily the temple’s treasures had already been moved from Buda Castle to Bratislava.
After the Habsburgs recaptured Buda in 1686, Matthias Church came under Jesuit patronage. Frigyes Schulek rebuilt Matthias Church in neo-Gothic style at the turn of the last century.
He incorporated the 13th century remains in the new design. You can view King Matthias’ small collection of religious treasures in the church museum.
The interior is very striking. Despite the vaulting and the stained
glass windows, it’s nothing like a Gothic cathedral; it has a sort of mystic, Eastern atmosphere.
The wall paintings are scenes from the Bible and events from Hungary’s history. The church has excellent acoustics, so it often houses concerts. Matthias Church is probably the most popular place to get married in Budapest.
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