statues

182436_182433_papany.jpg Popes in Budapest – Several leaders of the Catholic Church visited the Hungarian capital before being elected The recent announcement that Pope Francis would visit Budapest in the autumn of 2021 for the closing Mass of the International Eucharistic Congress came as a true surprise to many. The last time a similar event took place was exactly thirty years ago, in 1991, when Pope John Paul II visited the Hungarian capital. Four other leaders of the Catholic Church came to Budapest, even before they were elected the Bishop of Rome. But what have former popes seen of our capital? In 1891 Pope Pius XI saw a tram for the first time in Budapest in 1891. John XXIII visited in 1930 for the St. Emeric Memorial Year, while Pius XII and John Paul VI attended the 1938 Eucharistic Congress. Although none of them visited as popes, it meant a lot to them and the Hungarians that they visited Budapest.
Budapest and love A small collection of poems from Hungarian poets was published recently. Naturally, it is connected to Budapest. The pages of the booklet are decorated with pictures of statues found around Budapest.
Péter Pázmány never visited Budapest – Born 450 years ago the prelate remains a symbol of Hungarian unity When in 1635 Péter Pázmány founded the first University in Hungary – the successor of which operates in Budapest today – Buda and Pest were occupied by the Ottomans. Thus, one of the greatest figures of Hungarian baroque literature, and a leading figure of Hungarian Catholicism, never visited what is today Budapest. Nevertheless, two universities in the capital vie to preserve his memory. Several statues and other works of art depict him around the city, emphasising how the life's work of this Hungarian prelate is unavoidable in public life, education, culture and religion.
Kőbánya pays its respects to King Saint Ladislaus Before the stunning church planned by Ödön Lechner in Kőbánya stands a statue of King Saint Ladislaus. The district also houses not only a church, but a respected secondary school, a primary school and a square that bare the name of the saint king. As the cult of Saint Ladislaus is uniquely strong in this part of the city, the district was gifted the statue of saint in 1940, when the nation commemorated the 900th anniversary of his birth. The statue by Károly Antal, was erected before the church as the public sculpture of the king to be placed in Budapest.
Lost to the World War – In the footsteps of a missing Cinderella statue In the playground on Gellért Hill, children would once quench their thirst at a fountain that depicted Cinderella. So in the 1920s, Budapest decided to order several fountains and statues depicting famous characters from stories. The goal was to ensure that the fountains would not only quench children's thirst but support their aesthetic sense.

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