Budapest Bug

King, Queen  and milk-loaf – a swallow of Pentecost

Pentecost (origins from the Greek „pentocostes” word) or Whitsun is the 50th day after Easter. Originally it is a Jewish feast day, which celebrated first finishing the harvest, later the the day, when Moses got the Stone Tablets – base of the enactment – on Mount Sinai. In the  Christian Church Pentecost is the day of the „touch-down” of the Holy Spirit, the „birthday” of the Church itself.

 Pentecost has its folk and religious traditions alike.  Selecting the „King of Pentecost” during mainly horsegames between the most skilled striplings was widespread all over the continent since the medieval times. In Hungary the first written chronicle of this custom dates back to the 16th century. Similary the „Queen of Pentecost” – crowned under a decorated tent held by other girls – was selected.

 One of the most important dish, a „must-do” – in some regions of Hungary even today – is the sweet milk-loaf. Sending together with other cakes, topped with fruits in a basket covered with embroidered tablecloth („komatál”) was a special present for relatives and friends. Unique custom was to send the milk-loaf by a girl to a boy, or reverse. If the present got a reverse, a similarly decorated and filled basket, the betrothal was agreed! The young couple usually safeguarded the precious loaf up to the day of the wedding (of course not ot eat!)

Italy in Budapest I. – the Hungarian Ca’ d’Oro

Pichler House is one of the most unique building of Budapest. The house was built for a named Ferenc Pichler between 1855 and 1857. Actually, this was the beginning of a somewhat „melancholic” era, started after the lost Hungarian freedom fight of 1848/49.

Pichler House was designed by Ferenc Wieser in Romantic style, says sources. As for me, the oulook reminds more the Gothic, specially Venetian Gothic of the 15th century. Moreover very similar of Ca’ d’Oro, the famous palazzo on the shore of Canale Grande. Originally known as Palazzo Santa Sofia but now commonly known as the Ca’ d’Oro (House of Gold) , completed in 1430, this palace was built in the particular Venetian floral Gothic style, which resembles Byzantine architecture and is almost Moorish in design.

The enchating arches, risalits, the central loggia  and „embroidery” motifs of Pichler House’s facade seem to be inspired by Ca’ d’Oro.  Wieser, the architect was born just 200 years before, and beside this Pichler House  created other famous buildings too, just as the tower of the Franciscan Church in the downtown. The beautiful  tower’s copy was even presented on the World Exhibition Paris in 1900. Pichler House’s street level gave once-upon-a-time to the papier and newspaper chaffery of Gustav Führer, today here is the Belvedere Salon.

A nation born on horseback

We are said to be an equestrian nation, and in fact this is not just a myth.  The ancestors of Hungarians used to live in the centre of the Eurasian nomadic pastoral life, where they took active part in the domestication and utilising of horses. All were highly professional riders,  able to stand on their horses’s back, making a right- about  turn while riding, or get through under the stomach of the horse. Meanwhile they used their bows with satanic skill.

The first Magyar settlers of Hungary are remembered by those traditionalists who reproduce the war games of that era with their horse-shows. Their equipment consists of bows, sabres, spontoons and spears. Their traditionally prepared, wooden-framed saddles fit their horses, the Turkmenian breed, which recall the past for the visitors just as well as their yurta accommodations and their ancient dishes.

Nowadays, in „ The Valley of Horses” in the village of Kaposmérő the steppe culture of horsemen is under a revival, because of Lajos Kassai, a modern warrior and philosopher. Not only has he founded a school of archery, but also recreated the ancient traditions and culture of his people, to which he has dedicated his entire life.

A Nobel-lauerate hindu poet at the Balaton

 Balatonfüred  is an enchanting resort which is steeped in tradition, and also an important spa for heart and circulation disorders. The healing properties of the carbonated waters were recognized back in the 1730s; in 1743 the monastery in neighbouring Tihany acquired the town and built a bath-house near the streams, In 1772 Balatonfüred was officially declared a spa town.

 Surrounded by parks and historic buildings and containing the pump room built around the Lajos Kossuth stream in the 19th century, Gyógy tér (Spa Square) forms the center of this bustling spa town. South of Gyógy tér lies a park filled with plane and lime trees. Stretching right down to the lake, it is the resort’s favorite meeting place. The promenade is named after the world-famous Nobel-prized Hindu author Rabindranath Tagore, who found here a cure for his heart condition and planted a lime tree in the park in 1926 as a token of his gratitude. Since then it has become the custom for renowned visitors or patients to do the same.

Chapterhouse of Sopron’s Goat Church

The chapterhouse of Sopron’s Goat Church is maybe the most unique and beautiful gothic architectural memory of Hungary. The three coherent chapels were built in 1406 from the bequest of Martin Dági Agendorfer. From 1522 it was used as catafalque place, later became the crypt of the Esterházy family. Though during the centuries some baroque elements were added, the vault, the arches, the reins and the capitals are the original ones.

And there are no two equals! The – sometimes imaginary – animals symbolize the seven main sins, as follows:  monkey – pride , crayfish – variability, bear – voracity, kneeling woman – vanity, winged devil – unbelief, sleeping man and flitter-mouse – slothfulness, woman and man with animal bodies – wantonness, women with horn and sneering monstrosity – envy.

Similary, the reins also have meanings: the angel with the trump refers on the Last Judgement, the eagle, the winged lion, the winged simp and the other angel are the four Evangelists (St. John, St. Marc, St. Luke and St. Matthias), while the pelican feeding his kids with his own blood is Christ itself.

Penalty for a kill - the „Goat Church” of Sopron

According to the story a citizen of Sopron, Henrik Gaissel in 1396 killed another citizen, named János Büki. Nobody knows, what was the real reason of the quarrel, anyway, the  culprit refuged to the neighbouring Austria. As it was not enough  to kill also his conscience, he offered as penalty all his fortune – three houses with grounds – to the church.

This is how the history of Sopron’s „Goat Church” is told today, but actually there was a Fransiscan church here already in 1280. What the Gaissel family added was the tower, and the coat of arms of the Gaissels with the famous-famed goat.

The church was built continously up to 1410, but what we saw here today is a result of reconstruction. In 1787 Emperor Joseph II dissoluted the orders in Hungary, and monks returned here only in 1802. By this time the building was int he hand of the Benedictine order, and was really in need of restoration. Restoration works were made by Ferenc Storno (lived actually int he opppsite side of the square, where the church stands) between 1884 and 1894 in enchantin neogothic style.

The church witnessed numerous historical events. From his pulpit János Kapisztrán, the heroic archbishop roused Hungarians for resistance against the conquering Ottoman empire (1456). Coronations of Hungarian queens (in 1622, 1625 and 1681) were held here, and gave place for 5 parliaments (in 1533, 1622, 1625, 1634 and 1681) as well. The crypt houses ashes of the members of Eszterházy and Széchenyi families for centuries. Above the main enctrance is not only the „goat-arm” can be seen, Mary the Virgin wraps blessingly all the Hungary in his mantle.

 „Csárda” and the Nine Span Bridge - Hortobágy

The Hortobágyi Csárda is the oldest building of the „puszta”. A restaurant, so called „csárda” stood here already in 1699. This first restaurant was rebuilt then in 1781 and 1815. What we see today is an enchanting mixture of Hungarian „peasant” baroque and classicism.

„Csárda” buildings in the Hortobágy were the „motel-chain”” of the 18th-19th century. The words „csárda” origins from the Persian language (suprisingly), and means literally „the place, where wains can stop”. After the Turkish reign, by the 18th century the Hungarian „puszta” was really emptied, and travelling through was not easy. In reasonable distance from each other resting places were needed for men and animals alike. In the beginning in a „csárda” was possible only to drink – for men and animals again. In their way to the animal markets cows and shepherds spent their overnight usually in a „csárda”. By the second half of the 19th century, „csárda” grew up for a real inn, with basic Hungarian dishes, wide selection of wines,  and rooms to sleep and rest. Gipsy bands - to cheer up the travellers, or entertain „city people” coming out from the town just to have a wild party or wishing for some romantic adventure - became crucial „belongings”.

Hortobágy Csárda was never just an inn, it served as postal office and toll station too. On the old road wimpling through Hortobágy mainly animals were shepherded and salt was delivered. But all caravans had to pay the toll, if they wanted to get across the Nine Span Bridge at Hortobágy Csárda. This arch bridge - with its 167,3 m -  is the longest road stone bridge in historic Hungary prior to 1921, when Hungary was reduced to one third of its former territory. The bridge was built between 1827 and 1833 in a Classical style, by János Povolny. The predecessor of the Nine Hole Bridge was a wooden structure built in 1697. The bridge gives name to the legendary annual fair held since more, than 100 years.

It is not photoshop, it is mirage – „Délibáb” on the Hortobágy

On the endless „puszta”of the Hortobágy  the time seeming plain mirage is one of the strangest sights of the scorching summer days. The mirage – can be seen more and more rarely today – actually is the play of the light’s fracture in the hot air, and a real spectacular sight of the Hortobágy!

A mirage is a naturally occurring optical phenomenon, in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. In contrast to a hallucinations,  a mirage is a thing,  which can be captured on camera, since light rays actually are refracted to form the false image at the observer’s location. In Hortobágy one sees mirage on hot summer days, when the warmest layer of the air locates somewhat higher, as the goundlevel. As light passes from colder air across a sharp boundary to significantly warmer air, the light rays bend away, and voilá – a mirage is ready! We not only see something, which is in fact not there, but see it as afloat. Depending on the distance of the true object and the temperature gradient this mirage can be right-side up or upside down. Often the image appears as a distorted mixture of up and down parts. Sometimes a distant building or landscape may appear to „tower” and look higher (and thus perhaps closer) than it really is. This type of mirage is also called the „Fata Morgana” in some countries, and called „Délibáb” (literally „babe of midday”, as occurs int he hottest hour of the day) in Hortobágy.

Sun, stars, pentagrams,  dragons and snakes on the wall - a forgotten Hungarian architect, Frigyes Spiegel

Frigyes Spiegel was one of the first architects in Hungary, who applied Art Nouveau ornaments in the architecture of his buildings in Budapest. In fact, the importance of this architect is a little bit underexposed , and the name of Spiegel is not really known, not even by Hungarians. Frigyes Spiegel graduated in 1887 at the Technical University of Budapest, later he went to work at the office of the Hungarian architect Vilmos Freud, who designed buildings in neo-Renaissance style. By 1895 he had already his own office, better to say a common office with another – also forgotten – architect, older Fülöp Weinréb. The two architects focused entirely on the design of tenement / apartment houses. In general Frigyes Spiegel was reponsible for the designs, while Fülöp was responsible for the construction. Spiegel and Weinréb within 4 years built 35 appartments, all of them – possible for the huge number - are quite sober in designs. The „marriage” lasted only this 4 years, and around 1899-1900 Frigyes Spiegel opened its own office.

Spiegel  was not only an architect, but also a gifted craftsman in designing applied art in the Art Nouveau style. Unlike Ödön Lechner, he followed Viennese style secession, and in 1903 he opened a shop called “La Maison Moderne”, inspired on the Wiener Werkstatte. The Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest has objects designed by him in her collection.

The building in the Izabella street is an unparalleled beauty, which’s design was undoubtly influenced by Otto Wagner. Actually we are speaking of two neighbouring buildings – the so called Lindenbaum houses - , but only one of them was lately restored. The facades called to be the first ones in Budapest made in Art Noveau style. The four basic elements – Earth, Water, Fire and Air – are the main track of the two buildings’ decoration. Earth is depicted by trees, peacocks (symbol of vanity) and snakes. Water is vivified by corals, fishes and cancers, Fire by dragons, while Air by the Sun, flying birds, stars and the Moon. Between the Elements two women try to reach the sky. In the center the „Tree in the Paradise” can be seen, surrounded by two doglikes creatures. Closing decoration is manifested in silver women reliefs, which represent the Moon. Between the main motifs the decoration contains rich ornamentics, and two big and numerous little pentagrams. The overall effect is undoubtly amazing.

Parishhurch of St. Emerich in Buda

 The city district where the church stands was named „Szentimreváros” (City of St. Emerich) in 1934 on the 900th anniversary of St. Emerich’s death, the son of the first Hungarian King, St Stephen. In 1923 the Cistercian Order settled here, and the church-district belonged to the Zirc Cistercian Abbey. Adolf Werner, the archbishop of Zirc considered to be his main task to build up a new parishurch, monastery and school.

 The order commissioned  Gyula Wälder architect, who designed a large-scale neo-Baroque building complex of which the high school was built as first. Constructional works started on 8th November 1936. The church itself was completed in 1938, but the construction of the monastery was prevented by the 2nd World War and the following era.. Both the school and the parish church were „nationalized” in 1948 and 1951. The Cistercian Order has been restored them in 1989, and got the church again.