A country's
image is always determined by its history. Hence, in
Europe, including Hungary, the rulers have usually drawn
this image. Like all men and women, they were not free
from partiality. As their fancy took them, they gave
preference to certain cities that they paid special attention
to, which often involved legal favours and financial
aids.
Esztergom
The first Hungarian king, (St) Stephen the 1st saw the
light between the walls of this town after his famous father,
Chief Prince Géza, had decided to settle there. The future king,
who was originally named Vajk, grew so fond of the town that
later he had himself crowned there and he made the archbishop
of Esztergom the head of the ten episcopacies he had established
in Hungary. The archbishop of Esztergom has been the highest
ecclesiastic in Hungary ever since. The castle of Esztergom
was built during St Stephen's rule and it remained the headquarters
of Hungarian kings until the Mongol invasion of Hungary in
1241-42 (which was earlier attributed to the Tartars). The
only mint in Hungary operated in Esztergom until the early
12th century. Most foreign rulers passing through Hungary
were received in Esztergom in the middle ages, including
the Emperors Conrad the 3rd and Frederick Barbarossa. Arnold
Lübecki, historiographer of Frederick Barbarossa, called
Esztergom the Hungarian capital. After the Árpád
dynasty of kings had died off in 1301, the importance of
Esztergom decreased. It is currently a tourist attraction
with many cultural and educational institutions and several
old buildings conjuring up the historic past.
Veszprém
This is actually much rather a town of queens than of kings.
That is because of a custom originating from the time of
the coronation of Hungary's first queen, Gizella. Ever since
then all Hungarian queens have been crowned by the archbishop
of Veszprém. The custom was put into statutory
effect in the 13th century. Last time it was practiced
in 1916, when Zita was crowned in Veszprém, being
the wife of Hungary's last king.
Székesfehérvár
The historic importance of Székesfehérvár
goes back to the time of the original settlement of the Magyars
in Hungary and the start of the Hungarian state in the 900s. Székesfehérvár
was the headquarters of the above-mentioned Chief Prince Géza,
and later it became Hungary's first capital during the rule of
Stephen the 1st. That is why so many Hungarians consider Székesfehérvár
one of the most important national symbols and a cradle of the
Hungarian spirit. Székesfehérvár remained
a centre of Hungarian statehood until the Turkish occupation of
Hungary in the 16th century. It was traditionally in St Stephen's
town that Hungarian kings were crowned, and it was here that the
royal insignia, the treasury and the royal archives were guarded.
Its role as Hungary's capital was handed down to Buda in the 16th
century. St Stephen himself and several of his successors were
buried in the basilica of Székesfehérvár.
The statue of the orb in the centre of town has remained a symbol
of Székesfehérvár, a town that has remained
a popular meeting point ever since as a result of its central position.
Visegrád
Visegrád
is perhaps the most interestingly situated town in Hungary.
Where the Danube suddenly "changes its mind" and breaks through
a steep ravine turning to the south, Visegrád towers
above the panorama of the Danube bend, and the Salamon tower,
which has become a symbol of the town. Ever since the rule
of Charles Robert, Visegrád has become the permanent
royal headquarters where the aristocracy faithful to the king
followed their ruler. The hero of most Hungarian historic legends,
King Mátyás (Mathew) Corvinus (1456 - 1490),
who was an introducer of the renaissance in Hungary, set up
his summer residence in the castle of Visegrád, which
has remained in quite a good shape. Mátyás started
significant construction and renovation here. The humanist
pontiff Miklós Oláh wrote the following about
this castle in his book entitled Hungaria-Attila in 1536: "They
say it includes more then 350 rooms. A magnificent well decorated
with statues of the muses overlooks the court that is surrounded
by loggias. A Cupido figure sits on a block of marble on top
of the well, which - as I was informed from the elders - pours
white and red wine by turns on occasions of celebration, when
the wine is skilfully pumped into the water-conduits at the
bottom of the hill. The gate of the palace opens to the river
Danube which flows only around two hundred steps below." Today
Visegrád is one of the most frequented tourist attractions,
as a result of both its history and its situation.
