Bélai Iván [et al.]: Köztéri alkotások

VI. Utószó

Superstition says that it was done by an angry farmer after a great icy rain in which his vineyard was destroyed. He is thought to have said: »Though we prayed to You, You did not protect our vineyards.« 20. The Primatial Palace's outer Ornaments in z. Mindszenty Square. The ornaments, as we might have got used to it by now, were made of sandstone. The building that used to belong to the Jesuits and was built according to the instructions of József Lippert, was reconstructed and regarded as the Sea Building of the Primate during cardinal János Simor between 1880 and 1882. His coat of arms appears as relief three times on the building. Its author is not known. On the Danube-side frontage, under the roof, there is a monumental relief in an obelisk-shaped niche, showing Simor's coat of arms. On the shield we can see the figure of Holy Mary, and the »arg poetica« of the cardinal: Sub mum praesidium.. - it means: VC'e rush under Your protection The middler figure of the coat of arms is also presented on the wall-part that connects the Víziváros-Church with the palace-building. Here the statue of the Immaculate Concession is situated in a small niche. The primatial coat of arms also appears above the Mindszenty Square-gate, and above the southern gate that leads into the garden. 21. The Outer Decoration of the Basilica. According to the original plans, all four walls and the Tympanum should have been ornamented with statues. But finally only the Danube-side frontage received 5 statues. These all were made by a sculptor from Venice, called Marco Casagrande, between 1850 and i860. The statues were three times larger than human size. In the middle stood the symbolic figure of Faith holding the cross in his left hand and pointing upt to the sky with his right hand. The statue was leaning on two puttos at its feet, representing Hope and Charity. This symbolic statue was surrounded by the statues of Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Stephen and Saint Ladislaus. The weight of the statues caused several cracks to the wall, so they have been removed at the order of cardinal Kolos Vaszary. On their place three statues moulded of light metal heve been stood, the one of Saint Stephen, of the figure of the Faith and of Saint Ladislaus. These were twice as large as human size, made by György Kiss, in 1901. During World War II the statues have been damaged considerably so when their restoration started expert found it better to remove chem. There ha not been any negotiation about their substitution. Under the statues, on the entablature we read