Dénesi Tamás (szerk.): Collectanea Sancti Martini - A Pannonhalmi Főapátság Gyűjteményeinek Értesítője 7. (Pannonhalma, 2019)
II.Közlemények
140 Tóth Ferenc: Szent Márton útján a vasút hőskorában Ferenc Tóth Along the Route of Saint Martin in the Heroic Age of the Railway The Visit of Cyprien Polydore, the Curé of Périgueux to Pannonhalma in 1880 The present paper discusses the visit of a less known traveller, Father Cyprien Polydore – the parishpriest of the Church of Saint Martin in Périgueux – to Hungary and Pannonhalma in the country in 1880. The French abbé travelling by train deliberately visited the places of birth of Saint Martin and took up a collection in Hungary for the reconstruction of his church, which was destroyed by fire in 1871. He published the history of his journey in his book entitled Voyage en Allemagne, en Autriche-Hongrie et en Italie in Périgueux in 1888. This work is an interesting sourcedocument of the age and the period of religious tourism in Hungary in the 19th century. The text is a collection of sincere impressions, in which one can become acquainted with the circumstances of contemporary Hungary experienced by a religious person, who came from afar. The guiding thread of the text is related to the cult of Saint Martin, too. Although he did not express his opinion in the debate of the age about the birthplace of Saint Martin, the travelogue frequently refers to events connected to the life and cult of Saint Martin, based on which one can come to a conclusion concerning the changes that occurred in local traditions, as well.
