St. Stephen's Basilica

The history of St. Stephen's Basilica began in 1838 following a devastating flood that claimed many lives in the city. The survivors, who had taken refuge on a hill with a church, decided to build a temple in gratitude. The construction of the cathedral spanned 54 years, starting in 1851 initially under the architectural plans of József Hild. In 1868, when the church was nearly complete, the dome collapsed. Miklós Ybl, who later took over the construction, succeeded in building a new dome that fit well with the overall design of the building. József Kauser finished the construction, mainly focusing on the interior work.

The cathedral was consecrated on November 9, 1905, with Emperor Franz Joseph I in attendance. In 1938, Pope Pius XII granted St. Stephen's Cathedral the honorary status of a minor basilica.

St. Stephen's Basilica is located in Pest and occupies a large part of St. Stephen's Square. The basilica is aligned west-east.

The length of the church is 87.4 meters, its width is 55 meters, and its height is 96 meters. Along with the Parliament building (both buildings share the same height of 96 meters), it is one of the tallest historical buildings in Budapest. St. Stephen's Basilica, together with the Basilica of St. Adalbert in Esztergom and the Basilica in Eger, is part of the triad of the country's largest churches.

The church is built in the Neo-Renaissance style and is designed as an equilateral "Greek cross". Above the transept, where the main nave intersects with the transept, there is a massive dome with a height of 96 meters and a diameter of 22 meters.

Two tall bell towers flank the main façade. The country's largest bell, weighing 9 tons, is housed in the right bell tower. Above the central entrance, a Latin inscription reads "I am the way, the truth, and the life".

A distinctive feature of the interior of St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest is the variety of different types of decor.

The walls and columns of the temple are lined with various types of marble. The interior is richly decorated with mosaics made by the best Hungarian masters. The main decoration of the interior is the altar, behind which stands a sculpture of St. Stephen, surrounded by bronze bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the king's life.

To the left of the altar is a gilded reliquary containing the relics of St. Stephen (his right hand). On August 20, St. Stephen's Day, it is traditional to carry the reliquary out of the cathedral in a procession.

The cathedral is adorned with stained glass windows depicting the figures of saints. The dome of the cathedral is topped with an image of the creation of the world.