Heroes' Square

Gift of Franz Joseph - the statue of Miklós Zrínyi and Gábor Bethlen was inaugurated on Kodály Körönd 120 years ago King Franz Joseph decided 125 years ago to donate ten statues to the nation, and he himself would cover the costs of making public works of art that would depict the famous personalities of the Hungarians. The first two of these monuments were inaugurated 120 years ago on the Kodály Körönd, but today only the first of the statues of Miklós Zrínyi and Gábor Bethlen can be seen in its original location. On the occasion of the anniversary, we followed the fate of the statues of the Kodály Körönd in the last century.

Renovation of the Art Gallery may begin soon One of the wedges of Heroes' Square, the Art Gallery designed by Albert Schickedanz, will soon be renewed. The first phase of the renovation of the building, completed for the Millennium Exhibition in 1896, is the restoration of the façade, for which a heritage protection permit has recently been obtained.

Its construction has caused controversy, today it is one of the most elegant parts of the capital - the Andrássy Avenue One hundred and fifty years ago, on 9 March 1872, the contract was signed, with which the construction of the representative avenue of Pest, Andrássy Avenue, could actually begin. The design of the route strongly divided the public, with many seeing it as a luxury investment serving the needs of the aristocracy. Soon after its opening, it became clear that the result went beyond all gentlemanly whims: it was one of the most important urban development enterprises of the second half of the 19th century.

The Church of Arts - The building of the Museum of Fine Arts is 115 years old The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the most famous buildings in the country, without which the Heroes' Square is unimaginable. Yet this was erected the latest, it is ten years younger than the Kunsthalle opposite. However, its size and seriousness make this fact forgettable - and of course it is no longer young, it was opened to the public 115 years ago. In this context, Pestbuda presents its history and beautiful interiors, which house one of the richest art collections in Central Europe.

A little Rome in Budapest - The main altar of St Peter's Basilica was built in Heroes' Square in 1938 The 52nd International Eucharistic Congress is taking place in Budapest these days, which one of the largest events in the Catholic Church. It is always a great honour for the city to host the event, and Budapest is lucky enough to host it for the second time. For the first time, in 1938, the organisers expressed their gratitude to the Vatican for the opportunity by building the main altar of St Peter's Basilica in Heroes' Square.

The world is watching Budapest - The Eucharistic Congress has begun Budapest hosts the International Eucharistic Congress for the second time. In addition to the main venues - Heroes' Square, Hungexpo, St. Stephen's Basilica, Kossuth Square, Academy of Music - there will be programmes, concerts and stage performances in several parts of the city.

Preparations for the renovation of the Kunsthalle have begun The building of the Kunsthalle in Heroes' Square was built for the Millennium Exhibition according to the plans of architect Albert Schickedanz. On the 125th anniversary of its existence, preparations began for the complete renovation of the building.

The Memorial Stone of Heroes was torn down 70 years ago In the shadow of the Millennium Monument, another work is hidden in the Heroes' Square. The Memorial Stone of Heroes symbolises a mass grave, originally erected in 1929, in memory of the soldiers of the First World War resting in anonymous graves, but it was not mourning that was its primary message, but mobilisation against the changing millennial boundaries. The memorial stone was demolished in 1951 but re-erected in the spring of 1956 and then in 2001, in a different form and with new messages.

Pope Francis presents the closing mass of the Eucharistic Congress on Heroes Square It has now become official that the closing mass of the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress held in Budapest will be presented by Pope Francis. Thus, 30 years after the papal Mass held on 20 August 1991, Heroes' Square will be the site of such a remarkable event again.

A Tuscan cast many iconic sculptures in Budapest Many foreign masters made a significant contribution to the development of Budapest city. Professionals from German-speaking countries excelled in the fields of architecture and applied arts in particular. A somewhat forgotten master who chose the Hungarian capital as his homeland instead of sunny Tuscany is worth noting. Raffaelo Vignali, or Rafael Vignáli in Hungarian, came to Budapest for the works of the Millennium Monument.