Budapest Régiségei 24/1. (1976)

ÓBUDA, RÓMAI KORI TÁBOROK, CANABAE ÉS KÖZÉPKORI VÁROS = ÓBUDA, ROMAN CAMPS, CANABAE AND THE MEDIEVAL TOWN = OBUDA, LAGERÂ I KANABE RIMSKOJ EPOHI I SREDNEVEKOVYJ GOROD - Bertalan Vilmosné: Óbudai klarissza kolostor 269-278

HERTA BERTALAN PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE WORKS OF UNCOVERING THE CONVENT AND CHURCH OF THE CLARISSA NUNS In the area bordered by (No. 1-13) Perc Street - (No. 23-35 and 42-50) Fényes Adolf Street (No. 2-12) Mókus Street in the 3rd district a large-sized medieval complex of buildings was found between the years 1971 and 1975, in the course of works of city reconstruction and supply with public utilities. The excavated remains were identified with the convent of the Clarissa nuns which had been built in the first half of the 14th century. The convent used to be one of the most important buildings of medieval Obuaa. lo the convent and to the church belonged a cemetery, houses and other outbuildings. The founder of the convent was one of the most active builders of the period: Queen Elizabeth, wife of King Charles Robert, who, from 1343 on, was the possessor of the southern part of Óbuda. She lived mostly in that town and also intended it for her burial place, she desired to be laid to rest in the Corpus Christi Chapel of the Clarissa convent. Up to 1541 the convent continually increased in splendour and wealth. Its life was interrupted temporarily by the defeat at Mohács in 1526 and definitely from 1541 to the end of the Turkish occupation. The nuns took refuge in the town of Pozsony, taking the mortal remains of the founder and the treasures of the convent with them. On the further fate of the convent the historical data give hardly any information. It was not rebuilt after 1686, moreover, even the site, where it used to be, sunk into complete oblivion. One of the important tasks of the research into the history and archaeology of the town was to find this building essential for the topography of the medieval town, and to open up this early and significant relic of Hungarian architecture of the Anjou period. In the course of the excavations and explorations for saving finds a considerable part of the convent and, to the east of it, the church were uncovered so far. The remains of several outhouses and some sections of the wall surrounding the convent were found. The church was three-aisled, with sanctuaries of polygonal termination and with a choir of 20x20 m. for the nuns. Its length is 65 m.

, its width 20 m. The area of the cloister garth is 35x35 m.

, the width of the single wings of the convent is 8 m.

, that of the ambulatory of the cloister is 3 m. In the course of the excavation the inner and outer levels of the church and of the single tracts of the convent were determined. The church and the convent were built about 1350. Of the works of their construction several periods could be established. In the 16th and 17th centuries certain buildings pertaining to the convent were reconstructed for other purposes. It may be presumed that during the Turkish occupation of Hungary the inhabitants of Óbuda who had remained in the town availed themselves of the partly ruined buildings which were surrounded by a stone-wall and provided increased safety. Under the medieval convent a 13th century road leading from north to south, stone-buildings joining the road, remains of houses with earthen floors, as well as places for laying fires were found. The medieval settlement extends on to the late Roman road of similarly north to south and east to west direction and on to the buildings contemporary with the road. Similarly several phases of construction could be distinguished within the Roman period. Inside the area of the convent a section of the 4th century Roman aqueduct of north-west to south-east direction and one of the pillars of the latter were found, Prehistoric and 7-8th century Avar finds turned up mixed in with the Roman finds. 275