Pál Kühnel was the architect, with his nephew János Packh as lead contractor. Archbishop Sándor Rudnay decided to restore Esztergom's status as mother church, and the foundation stone was laid on April 23, 1822. Packh was murdered in 1839, and József Hild took charge. The upper church was dedicated on August 31, 1856, and Hild completed the building in 1869.
It is 387 feet (118 m) long and 161 feet (49 m) wide. The dome rises 235 feet (71.5 m) inside and 328 feet (100 m) outside, with an outer diameter of 110 feet (33.5 m). The infobox gives the style as neoclassical, and the text says Classicist. The Bakócz Chapel of 1506 to 1507, in red marble, was moved 66 feet (20 m) in 1823.
World War II bombing damaged the colonnade and cupola. A renovation began in 2019. The basilica holds the Cathedral Treasury, a staircase to the dome, and the crypt of late archbishops, including József Mindszenty.
Comments