Budapest a city to remember vol. 3 - Holy Trinity Square

Szentháromság tér (Holy Trinity Square) and its Surroundings

In vol. 3 of my Budapest excursion, we venture just a few hundred yards from Buda Castle to find the divine Szentháromság tér or the “Holy Trinity Square”.

Upon reaching the square, you are first presented with the sight of the Neo-Gothic architectural marvel of the Matthias Church and its dominating spire piercing the sky.

Though the church dates back to the thirteenth century, it’s current appearance was crafted in the nineteenth century by architect Frigyes Schulek. Before this most current face-lift, the church had been destroyed and rebuilt twice. It was destroyed once by the Mongols in 1241 and second time by the Turks in 1686. During the Turkish invasion, the church was used as the city’s main mosque. It was only recovered in 1686 after the “Mary-wonder” incident when canon fire during the Turkish expulsion from the city brought down a wall to reveal a praying statue of the Virgin Mary. It is said that the moral of the Turks was so damaged they were routed the same day. Closer to modern day, the church was used as a German camp as the start of WW2 and then a Russian camp during the soviet occupation just after WW2. The church was badly damaged during the conflict, but not destroyed. Restoration of the building as carried out as recently as 2013 by the Hungarian government.

Just in front of the church, in the square’s center, rests the Holy Trinity Column.

This column is far from the only Holy Trinity column throughout Europe and each carries much the same meaning. It was built between 1710-1713 in commemoration to the end of the plague, to celebrate the lives of those who died as a result of it, and protect those who survived from another outbreak. The column is heavily decorated with angels and saints and sitting at the column’s zenith is a statue which represents the Holy Trinity. It is a marvelous monument to behold and captures the eye of all visitors to the square.

Beyond the column and past the church, curling atop the ridge of a Buda hill overlooking the Danube River, we come across the breathtaking Fisherman’s Bastion. It appears as old as time, but is a relatively new construction when compared to its truly antiquated counterparts. Constructed between 1895-1902, again, by Schulek, the terrace, with its many towers, represents the ancient Magyar tribes that once settled the area. The name Fisherman’s Bastion came from the fact that the guild of fishermen once lied beneath its walls and defended that portion of the river bank. Despite its lack of true gothic origins, the terrace adds an unforgettable flair of gothic atmosphere to the square and from its parapets visitors are afforded some of the best panoramic views of the city, nearly as good as those from atop the Basilica.

Central to the Fisherman’s Bastion and erected at the same time, stands tall another equestrian statue. This statue immortalizes Stephen I of Hungary. The halo around his head symbolizes the fact he was known as King Saint Stephen. He was the first king of Hungary. He was born a pagan and given the pagan name Vajk at birth. The time of his baptism is unknown and, though his parents were also baptized, he was the first of his family to become a devout Christian. He outlived all of his children and was buried in Saint Stephen’s Basilica. His death, with no clear heir, led to decade of civil war. Today his statue watches over the goings on of the square with holy scepter in hand and stoic stare washing over those who pass.

Please enjoy a few more shots of the square.

Pink shoes invade my shot as I angle up from the square's floor.

Here is a shot from a terrace below the main terrace of the bastion.

As usual, I found some plant life to make some noise in the foreground. :)

Another angle on the column. What a sight! It has so much detail chiseled into it.

Another shot if the bastions towers in their magnificence.

A shoulder height shot of the bastion (Your typical tourist capture :3).

To top things off a panorama of the entire square. The church got a bit distorted. I tried this many times, but the spire always distorted.

Don’t forget to check out volume 1 (St. Stephen's Basilica) and volume 2 (Buda Castle). If you like what you’ve seen, please upvote, comment, follow, and resteem. If you're interested in how I achieved this trip for under $1000, be sure to let me know in the comments and I'll do a post on frugal travel habits and tricks in the future ;) See you for Volume 4 of this fantastic city.

Have a happy day and Steem on!