A memorial site of European significance can be established in Székesfehérvár, which will serve as a dignified resting place for the Hungarian kings who were originally buried in the coronation basilica, which was destroyed during the Turkish era.
Miklós Kásler, director general of the Hungarian Research Institute, visited Székesfehérvár, where he discussed the reconstruction of the Basilica of the Virgin Mary (also known as the Basilica of Our Lady, the former coronation church of the Árpád kings). In the first-hand video interview series, he said: the goal is not merely to renovate the cathedral, but to create a national memorial that serves as the resting place of our kings and is unique in Europe.
The founding of the Christian Hungarian state is most closely associated with Székesfehérvár. The importance of the basilica is due to the fact that there were three conditions for the coronation of the Hungarian kings: one, that they be crowned with the Holy Crown, the second, that the coronation take place in Székesfehérvár, and the third, that it take place by the Archbishop of Esztergom. were buried here , including the greatest, Saint István, Kálmán Könyves and Mátyás Hunyadi
Miklós Kásler said.
The destruction of the basilica began in the Turkish era and continued during the later ones, the above-ground parts of the building completely disappeared by the beginning of the 19th century. In communist times, the finds in the church's ossuary (bone chamber) were treated unworthily, the bones of the fifteen Hungarian kings were mixed up. However, with the help of the science of archaeogenetics, it is now possible to sort the finds and identify the samples.
– This is not only a matter of Székesfehérvár, but a national issue, in the Carpathian Basin. The decision-makers, city leaders, civilians, as well as representatives of the relevant scientific fields are all working hard to create a national memorial site of importance in the Carpathian Basin and beyond, said the director general.
The identification of the Hungarian kings has started in the ossuary , and as soon as it becomes possible to examine the finds of family members buried in other European countries, we will be able to identify all fifteen Hungarian kings in the foreseeable future. And for their funeral, the most exalted, elevated location will be the rebuilt basilica, which they chose as their eternal resting place.
Miklós Kásler said.
Cover image: Youtube
