Description
This series presents the enchanting buildings, spaces and scenery of the Hungarian capital. The church originally bore the name Church of Our Lady and later it got its new name when King Matthias held his wedding there. After destruction by the Mongols, the church was rebuilt in Gothic style. It was later transformed by King Louis the Great. The main tower was built under the reign of King Matthias. The Turks converted it into a mosque, which was later reconstructed by the Jesuits in the Baroque style following the liberation of Budapest. The church was damaged by fire and lightning in the 1700s. King Franz Josef and his wife Queen Elisabeth were crowned here in 1867. In 1873 the King ordered the church to be restored to its original condition. Reconstruction took place from 1874 to 1896 under the direction of Frigyes Schulek, and following demolition of some parts of the adjacent buildings the church was returned to its original free-standing form. The interior paintings, wall frescos and stained glass windows were also created based on Schulek’s plans. During the siege of Buda in WWII, the building was damaged so severely that it was only possible to restore the church to its original splendor in 2013.
