Matthias Church
Matthias Church, formally the Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle, stands in Holy Trinity Square in Budapest's Castle District, beside the Fisherman's Bastion overlooking the Danube. Although tradition dates a church on the site to the 11th century, the present building is essentially a Gothic structure of the 14th century, named after King Matthias Corvinus, who held two of his weddings here.
The church served as the coronation venue for several Hungarian monarchs, including the lavish 1867 crowning of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, for which Franz Liszt composed his Coronation Mass. In the 19th century the architect Frigyes Schulek led a sweeping restoration that gave the church its richly ornamented interior of painted patterns and its distinctive roof of colourful Zsolnay tiles.
Having served at times as a mosque under Ottoman rule and later been heavily damaged in the Second World War, the church has been repeatedly restored. Today it is both a working Catholic parish and one of Budapest's most beloved landmarks, admired for its romantic silhouette and its vividly decorated interior.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 500,000
- Location
- 47.5019, 19.0342
- Local time
- 00:35 (Europe/Budapest)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Fri | 09:00–17:00 |
| Sat | 09:00–12:00 |
| Sun | 13:00–17:00 |
Limited Sat/Sun visiting around weddings and services; approximate
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
-
Mary the Virgin (Assumption) Saint
Patroness; formally the Church of the Assumption of Buda Castle
-
Stephen I of Hungary Saint
First Christian king of Hungary, depicted and venerated in the church
-
Ladislaus I of Hungary Saint
Sainted Hungarian king depicted in the church's frescoes and chapels
-
Emeric (Imre) of Hungary Saint
Royal saint, son of St Stephen, venerated in Hungarian tradition
-
Elizabeth of Hungary Saint
Beloved Hungarian saint depicted in the church's decoration
Care & donations
Matthias Church Parish (Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest)
Admission charge for visitors; free entry for worship
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