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

A SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR

nies he pointed towards the four cardinal points with his sword to indicate that he would protect the country. Most of the kings after 1301 chose to be entombed in the Virgin Mary basilica: Robert Charles, Louis the Great, Albert, Matthias, Ladislaus II, Louis II and János of Szapolya were buried in Saint Stephen's church. The coronation church enjoyed the privileges of popes and provided indulgence to the visitors of the basilica. The town which was estimated to have 3000 inhabitants at the time housed other events of great importance besides the coronations. It became a scene of diplomacy during the reign of Sigismund. In 1412 Ladislaus, King of Poland and in 1423 representatives of Check noblemen were received in the town. The oldest monument of Fehérvár is the Gothic Saint Ann chapel, which was built in King Matthias's time. 19

th century historians attribute the building of the chapel to Domonkos Kálmáncsehi, but according to recent research it was built by Hentel, resident of Fehérvár in 1 740. The building having survived the Turkish period was renovated by the custos, count László Nádasdy in the 1710s. The chapel became the property of the Piarist order, but they entrusted the Franciscan order with the maintenance of the building. Following the death of King Matthias troops of Maximilian of Habsburg arrived at the boundarv of the town. On 1 7 November 1490 the town having refused the profession of allegiance was occupied. The German mercenaries sacked the inhabitants and did not spare the royal basilica. The town's aldermen led bv provost Kálmáncsehi took refuge together with the church treasures in the tower of the basilica. The battle lasted one and a half months; the German garrison troops occupying the town surrendered to the troops of István Báthory and Pál Kinizsi on 28 July 149 1. ISTOLNI BELGRAD, THE TURKISH BORDER CASTLE The Turkish armv arrived in the outskirts of the town on 23 August 1543. The siege started on 28 August; the first to fall were the Sziget and the Ingovány districts. The Turkish army besieged the castle