Tanulmányok Budapest Múltjából 29. (2001)

A BUDAI KIRÁLYI VÁR ÉS A VÁRNEGYED EGYHÁZTÖRTÉNETI SZEREPE - Beke Margit: A királyi palota egyháztörténeti vonatkozásai a XVIII. században 125-134

MARGIT BEKÉ HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF THE ROYAL PALACE IN THE 18TH CENTURY Summary The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the new palace in 1749 marked the beginning of a new era in the church life of the Royal Palace. The new palace chapel was consecrated in 1769, giving a boost to religious life. The queen brought in monks of the Order of the Starry Cross from Bratislava (then Pozsony) to serve in the chapel. Next, Maria Theresa merged the mediaeval-origin Saint Sigismund provostship with the palace chapel. The Starry Cross monks initially served only in the palace, but the queen later put them in charge of the entire parish that formed around the chapel. The first permanent inhabitants of the palace were the English Ladies, between 1770-1777. The palace then housed the university, moved to Buda from Nagyszombat (1777-1783), and eventually it became the residence of the Palatine and his family. Hungary's national relic, the Holy Right Hand, was kept in the palace, and later also the regalia. A royal residence from the Middle Ages, the palace was rebuilt in the 18th century with the intention of accommodating kings; however, it gradually became a religious centre rather than a royal dwelling.