A place for holding divine
services is what churches are for. But there is so much more
to these buildings: if we want to interpret the structure of
a church, then we need to know the religion. Thus we have to
be aware that the importance of churches is deeply carved in
the Hungarian soul. In medieval times, every church had its
name, which was adopted into the name of the village: for instance
Boldogfalva, Szentgyörgy and Szentlászló,
or villages where the shape of the church provided the names
Kerekegyház (round church) and Hegyesegyház (spiked
church).
Theinitial building Christian churches in Hungary
are connected to the missionary activities initiated by Prince
Géza and his son, King Saint Stephen. Two monumental churches
date from the rign of Saint Stephen: the royal basilica of Székesfehérvár
and the cathedral of Esztergom. Churches were initially built in
wood, but wooden materials decay and they were replaced with stone,
following the example of Western Europe. Of the churches dating
from the time of Saint Stephen, only the oldest parts of the cathedral
in Pécs have remained in relatively good repair. The structure
of the two main walls, built in the 11th century, the crypt, and
the foundations of the towers can still be seen. The royal church,
the cathedral in Székesfehérvár,became an
examplar for church building for all Hungarian villages and towns.It
was a masterpiece with marble floor, golden altars, and richly
furnished with crystal, onyx, golden and silver vessels. Religious
orders greatly influenced church construction in Hungary, because
they had brought their developed church structures with them. French
origin is clearly identifiable on the stone carvings of Benedictine
churches. These can be found in the churches of Lébény
and Ják, which are considered incomparably rare by art historians.
The Benedictines usually built with three naves, three semicircular
apses, two steeples and flat ceilings, but later they introduced
pointed arches. While the Cistercians aimed at simplicity, for
instance in Bélapátfalva, the Benedictines professed
magnificence. The different orders had a great effect on each other,
as well. The wonderful church in Zsámbék built by
the Premonstratensians has echos of the Benedictine church in Lébény.
