A Historical and Archival Guide to Székesfehérvár (Székesfehérvár, 2003)

A SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR

tion to the town; the suburbs (Újfalu, Latin quarter) were however demolished. Béla IV rebuilt the castle as well; further construction was carried out during the reign of King Matthias. Following the Tatar invasion the town gradually lost its central position. Buda began to emerge as the political centre of the country. Béla IV transferred his seat to Buda. The swamps surrounding Fehérvár hindered the town from development, as they limited the castle and the suburb's territorial expansion. The role of the town decreased in international trade as well, which contributed to its decline; its important junction position diminished, and pilgrimages chose other directions in the middle of the 13

th century. In spite of these facts the town's importance as sanctified centre further increased. The kings from different dynasties after 1301 attached greater importance to be crowned and buried in the Virgin Mary basilica than their predecessors. The formula of the coronation was firmly established by this time. It meant that the new monarch was crowned by the archbishop of Esztergom with King Saint Stephen's crown in the coronation church in Fehérvár, in the presence of the provost of Fehérvár. The monarchs with no tie of blood to the Árpád House claimed a mystical relationship to the state founder saint king, thus legitimising their power and authority. We know of the coronation ceremonies from a number of descriptions. The premise of the ceremony was not limited to the Virgin Mary basilica, although the coronation was performed during a holy mass. The acclamation and the most important parts of the ceremony the consecration and the anointing were also performed here. The Icing was vested here, that is King Saint Stephen's mantle was put on him. The sword, the crown and the sceptre were also delivered in the basilica, and the king was seated on the throne here. When the mass ended, the ceremony continued in Saint Peter-Paul church. The king sat on the throne, and he dubbed knights and passed the first decrees. The events in the Saint Peter-Paul church symbolised the beginning of the new king's reign. Dubbing knights and passing decrees represented the king as the supreme commander and chief justice respectively. The coronation ceremony went on with the Icing astride his horse marched through the streets and took an oath to keep the law of the country. When he reached the hill known from coronation ceremo-