In our trip to Hungary we have visited the abbey of Pannonhalma, founded for converting the Hungarians in 996 by the Benedictines supported by the first king of Hungary, Géza, and his son Stephen I. Then was founded the first school in Hungary and written the first document in Hungarian. There took place the peace negotiations between Papacy and Empire (11th century). It was an important cultural centre and it was reconstructed many times (in the end in Baroque style), also for becoming a fort against the Turkish (18th century). Now there is still a school and a monastic community. The church is Romanesque and have a 55 m high neoclassical tower with a dome, constructed by János Páckh. The interior is Gothic with three naves, like the crypt and has beautiful vaults and Renaissance doors. From ambulatory you can go to the square Gothic cloister, that has vaulting, springing from consoles decorated with symbolic motifs, sculptured stones and a door with red marble columns, across the beautiful Romanesque red marble portal, Porta Speciosa, with five pairs of columns. Near that is also the chapel of St. Stephen, the sacristy, with original furniture, the chapterhouse and the refectory, an oblong two-storeyed hall, projected by Martin Witwer, with nice frescos by Antonio Fossati. The archives contain unique documents and the library, built on four levels, is a neoclassical masterpiece with 350000 books and many statues. The buildings of the abbey is two-storeyed; very nice are the vaulted corridor and the row of monastic cells. Outside the abbey, on its hill, are some interesting buildings, like the chapel of Our Lady (1714), in Baroque and Romantic styles, with one nave, barrel vaults and a triumphal arch; near that is the Calvary. The Millenary Monument was constructed in 1896 for celebrating the thousandth anniversary of the foundation of Hungary and consist in a single block, constructed in brick and limestone; its porch is formed by a tympanum with a symbolic relief, supported on two pairs of Ionic columns. Around the abbey is an oak forest, that contains many floral species and song-birds, and a botanical garden, with half forest trees and plants and half hedgerow and park species, native or exotic.

I liked the abbey very much because of the quality of the architecture and the variety of the styles. I think that it justifies the inscription also because of its historical importance. There are only guided tours beggining from a reception near the abbey. It is the nicest abbey in the Hungary and it is absolutely worth to be visited.

Photo: Pannonhalma - Abbey Church of St. Martin