Horváth M. Ferenc (szerk.): Vác The heart of the Danube Bend. A historical guide for residents and globetrotters (Vác, 2009)
Tartalom
200 SIGHTSEEING Franciscan Church built in the area of the castle in 1942 THE CASTLE The place where the Castle of Vác was built used to rise high above its surroundings; these days it is only noticeable if we look at it from the riverbank or the Danube itself The early episcopal centre and the cathedral built by King Géza, a royal burial place and the Renaissance palace complex were all situated here. It was also the centre of military events, a target of the Mongol army and Ottoman attacks. When the mythical stag from the legends disappeared from the sight of his pursuers in the mid-toyos, he marked the place for the votive church. The Bishopric of Vác must have been established by that time, and the settlement was probably considered a large one. However we know nothing about a cathedral or an episcopal see from the preceding years. The church, the bishop’s palace and all the other parochial and secular buildings were fortified with earthwork and palisades, which comprised the castle at the time. During the reconstructions following the fatal devastation by the Mongols, stone walls were erected and the river was also used for defence. The castle was surrounded by a moat on the side of the town and the Grove; there was agate and a bridge built to protect it. Today our only sources of information about the splendid palaces and the church of the most significant period, the tjth century, are some unearthed fragments and few fascinating descriptions by contemporary travellers. Bishop Miklós Báthori was the head of the diocese for a long time in this period. He was an educated scholar, a relative and a friend of King Matthias. The bishopric centre rivalling the royal palace was destroyed during the Ottoman era. When the Ottomans occupied it in they used the church as a mosque for some time. After a few decades however its ruins served as building material for the fortification of the castle walls. The belligerents fought more than forty battles to capture the castle shelling and blowing up the walls. When the war was over and the place was given to the Franciscan Order, despite the prohibition, they used the rubble as building material again. They built, carved and painted stones into their walls, and they did away with the graves of the dignitaries of the church as well. For instance, the red marble tomb of Miklós Báthori from tjo6 was turned into a piscina [basin]. What have survived are some columns from the Renaissance balustrade displayed in the cathedral, a carved tomb of a prelate, Miklós Báthori’s red marble coat of arms, and some archaeological findings. The area of the one-time castle from the direction of the Danube
