The crypt of St. Michael’s Cathedral
Seventeenth-century graves have been uncovered in the crypt of St. Michael’s Cathedral in Veszprém (near Lake Balaton) during renovation work on the basilica, which visitors can explore on guided tours on weekends, confirmed a statement released on Thursday by the communications partner of the company carrying out the renovation.
As the statement confirms, archaeologists identified 13 graves and found inscriptions made of copper rivets on the lids of some of the coffins, many of which were in very good condition. These inscriptions revealed that members of the family of 17th-century castle captain Ferenc Babocsai were buried in the crypt, including a young girl whose braided hair, most of her lace-trimmed silk dress, a cross tied to a leather strap, and her pointed-toe, high-heeled leather slippers have been preserved. The latter is a particularly valuable find, as few examples of 16th- and 17th-century women’s and men’s clothing have survived in Hungary.
During the renovation of the crypt, the damp, salt-saturated walls, which were in poor condition, were restored by removing the cement plaster and then insulating the crypt using modern technology. The renovation has created a clean, dignified space similar to that of the main cathedral, which has regained its original function: “After several decades, we are once again holding liturgical events in front of the altar built in the 1910s,” said István Takáts, parish priest of St. Michael’s Cathedral and archbishop’s vicar general, in a statement.
The tomb of Márton Padányi Biró has also been renovated, which visitors to Veszprém can also see during the castle tours. The more than 260-year-old Baroque tomb in the crypt is decorated with a life-size statue of the bishop and allegorical figures holding symbols of death in their hands.
Biró was a major figure in the Catholic revival who, after the Turkish occupation, revived life in a plundered and destroyed diocese by building churches and schools. As the bishop was also the queen’s chancellor and chief magistrate, he held an important position in the secular hierarchy, recalled Takáts, adding that the numerous symbols decorating the Baroque tomb, such as the closed book, the skull, withered flowers, a locked padlock, a dying torch, a sandglass that has run out, and an owl, also known as the bird of death — all draw visitors’ attention to the fragility and transience of life.
The Cathedral of St. Michael in Veszprém has suffered severe damage several times over the centuries. During the Turkish occupation, for example, Veszprém changed hands twelve times, and in 1552, the main church burned down. In 1704, General Heister had the remaining parts shot with cannons as punishment, because the city had sided with the Rákóczi War of Independence. However, the Gothic-style crypt remained intact and was used as a place of worship until the cathedral was rebuilt in Baroque style, the statement concludes.
Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Hegedüs Róbert
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