Vác Cathedral, Vác, Hungary - SpottingHistory.com

Vác cathedral, built 1761–1777, was modelled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The episcopal palace houses a museum for Roman and medieval artifacts.

Religious sites in Hungary

User Reviews

Viktor Olivér Lőrincz (17 months ago)
Beautiful building

Bogdan Balaban (2 years ago)
Massive church. This is probably one of the landmarks of the city. There is a huge place in front of this church. I liked most the statues aboube the columns. It is a great place to visit.

Giulia (2 years ago)
Astonishing building. Very grandiose and nicely kept. On Sunday, I found it open with and without the function going on inside.

Faris Suwaida (2 years ago)
Very nice Catholic Cathedral in Vac county in Hungary

Bence Hajdu (2 years ago)
Amazing cathedral in baroque style. Building started in 1699, but finished about 50 years later. Frescos inside by a renown Austrian painter of the time. The large square in front and the South-Western aspect allows for nice pictures to be taken. Vac in general is well worth a daytrip for the baroque old town and the Danube walk. Many nice cafes, bars and restaurants are available. Parking by car is for a small charge in the centre.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Martin M. Miles

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Abbey of Saint-Étienne

The Abbey of Saint-Etienne, also known as Abbaye aux Hommes ('Men"s Abbey'), is a former monastery dedicated to Saint Stephen (Saint Étienne). It is considered, along with the neighbouring Abbaye aux Dames ('Ladies" Abbey'), to be one of the most notable Romanesque buildings in Normandy. Like all the major abbeys in Normandy, it was Benedictine.

Lanfranc, before being an Archbishop of Canterbury, was abbot of Saint-Etienne. Built in Caen stone during the 11th century, the two semi-completed churches stood for many decades in competition. An important feature added to both churches in about 1120 was the ribbed vault, used for the first time in France. The two abbey churches are considered forerunners of the Gothic architecture. The original Romanesque apse was replaced in 1166 by an early Gothic chevet, complete with rosette windows and flying buttresses. Nine towers and spires were added in the 13th century. The interior vaulting shows a similar progression, beginning with early sexpartite vaulting (using circular ribs) in the nave and progressing to quadipartite vaults (using pointed ribs) in the sanctuary.

The two monasteries were finally donated by William the Conqueror and his wife, Matilda of Flanders, as penalty for their marriage against the Pope"s ruling. William was buried here; Matilda was buried in the Abbaye aux Dames. Unfortunately William"s original tombstone of black marble, the same kind as Matilda"s in the Abbaye aux Dames, was destroyed by the Calvinist iconoclasts in the 16th century and his bones scattered.

As a consequence of the Wars of Religion, the high lantern tower in the middle of the church collapsed and was never rebuilt. The Benedictine abbey was suppressed during the French Revolution and the abbey church became a parish church. From 1804 to 1961, the abbey buildings accommodated a prestigious high school, the Lycée Malherbe. During the Normandy Landings in 1944, inhabitants of Caen found refuge in the church; on the rooftop there was a red cross, made with blood on a sheet, to show that it was a hospital (to avoid bombings).

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