Cathedral Basilica of St. Stephen the King, Székesfehérvár, Hungary

The basilica is built on ancient, sacred land. Grand Duke Géza, who ruled Hungary from 972 to 997, established the city of Székesfehérvár and is reputed to have constructed both his royal palace and a church exactly where the cathedral now stands. Interestingly, however, no Géza-era tomb has ever been discovered there. It is believed that this early church, which had four aisles and was constructed in the Byzantine style, was the Church of St. Peter. You can still make out the outline of Géza’s church in the pavement just outside the cathedral if you go there today. Royal tradition also takes an interesting turn. King Béla IV was not crowned in Saint St. Stephen’s Basilica, which was the principal church in the city at the time; instead, Peter’s.  Why exactly is unknown. However, it is abundantly clear that St. Peter’s was particularly significant. When a king was crowned in Fehérvár, he or she would come here to issue their first royal decrees. Over time, the church was expanded, but not much survives from those Romanesque days.  The towers still have a few old Gothic window fragments on them.

The church became a mosque during the Turkish occupation. Also, nearby St. Anne’s Chapel is the only Gothic structure in the city that has not been destroyed over the centuries. In 1702, the Jesuits took over and began rebuilding the basilica after the Turks were driven out. At first, only the front facade and the two towers were completed. Saints Stephen, Imre, and Ladislaus were added as statues. Stones from the old church walls and even the castle walls, which King Leopold I had just ordered to be torn down, were used by the builders. Money was scarce, so progress was sluggish. After that, in December 1740, a severe storm struck. The roof, which was already weak, was destroyed, causing severe damage to the northern tower. The northern tower was fixed in 1742, and the southern tower was fixed in 1745, as best the city could. Even though everything was falling apart, people continued to attend services there for more than a decade despite the church’s poor condition. A turning point came then. Father Buffler, a Jesuit priest, delivered two passionate and moving sermons in March 1758 that set the city on fire. The church was rebuilt using stones from castle walls, ruins, and even former monasteries and churches between 1758 and 1768. Paul Hatzinger was the one who rebuilt the towers. Martin Grabner was in charge of the entire renovation in the Baroque style. She also received support from Queen Maria Theresa, which was very helpful. Stephen, Ladislaus, and Imre are the three saints who still stand on the facade today. The church was made a cathedral when Queen Maria Theresa established the Bishopric of Székesfehérvár in 1777. She entrusted it with the sacred responsibility of safeguarding St. Stephen, which was brought back from Ragusa. The northern tower was added in 1807, and the southern tower was added in 1815, at the beginning of the 1800s.

Later, in 1866, the church underwent a significant renovation. They were able to raise the floor of the sanctuary, replace the windows and floors, clean the frescoes, add marble and stucco, and construct a brand-new altar in St. Stephen’s Chapel, which later served as a baptismal font. Over the years, additional repairs were made. During restoration, workers discovered medieval details that had been hidden between 1935 and 1938. The church was dedicated twice, once by Ignác Koller in 1768 and once by János Simor in 1866. Pope Pius XI gave it the name basilica minor in 1938. Then came the Second World War. The basilica suffered extensive damage, particularly to its artwork and frescoes. The 1950s saw a slow start to the repairs. A portion of the cornice of the south tower fell off in 1983. There was an estimate for a complete renovation, but there wasn’t enough money. They were able to complete a few essential repairs, including repairing the statues on the facade, resetting the clock, and replacing the copper on the tower roofs. However, things got serious in June of 2014. The facade collapsed in sections. The reason? The roof had deteriorated to such an extent that it almost brought the ceiling down with it. Fortunately, the issue was discovered in time. The church paid for the entire renovation by 2015, with assistance from the city and the government. The entire structure might have collapsed if that problem with the roof wasn’t found.