306 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp328–9 and pp330–31
This imposing Gothic edifice, with a wide
nave flanked by two aisles, was built in
1452 on the site of an earlier 14th-century
Romanesque church. Between 1563 and
1830, 11 Hungarian kings and 8 queens
were crowned in the cathedral. From here it
is possible to walk the for mer coronation
route through the Old Town by following a
series of golden crowns embed ded in the
pavement. In the 19th century, the church
was rebuilt in Neo-Gothic style by architect
Jozef Lippert and its interior refurbished
along more purist lines.
St Martin’s Cathedral 8
Dóm šv Martina
Presbytery
After completing the hall the
builders realized that the
sec tion by the altar was too
small, and added a
presbytery with a fine
net vault. The coat
of arms on the
vault is that of
the Hungarian
King Mátyás
Corvinus
(see p333).St Anne’s
Chapel
Chapel of St John
the Almsgiver
In 1732 Georg
Raphael Donner built
the side chapel of
St John the Almsgiver
at the request of
Archbishop Esterházy.Structure of
the Cathedral
Vibrations from
heavy traffic
on the road to
New Bridge
(see p308)
have damaged
the cathedral,
which often
has to undergo
restoration.. Sculpture of
St Martin
Originally made for the
main altar, this statue
of St Martin (1734)
by sculp tor Georg
Raphael Donner
depicts St Martin
in Hungarian
dress, cutting his
cloak to share it
with a beggar.
STAR FEATURES. Sculpture of St Martin
. Altar of St Anne’s
Chapel