Vác - Cathedral of Mary's Ascension and St Michael Székesegyház
On the spacious Konstantin tér towers this imposing church (Székesegyház) which, with its Classical lines and massive proportions, seems a little out of place in the small Baroque town. It was the first time that this post-Baroque style, developed in France, was applied to an episcopal church in Hungary and it was destined to be the forerunner of later cathedrals in Eger, Esztergom and elsewhere.
Bishop Károly Eszterházy, who had commissioned Franz Anton Pilgram to produce the design of the new church in 1760, transferred shortly afterwards to Eger. His successor, the miserly young Christoph Migazzi, awarded the project to the Viennese court architect Isidore Canevale, who was already familiar with Classical forms. This is most apparent from the ancient-style colonnaded porch on the west façade which is crowned by six statues by the stonemason Josef Bechert. The interior with the massive domed roof has both elements of 18th C plait style and Classicism.
The fresco in the dome ("Triumph of the Holy Trinity") from 1771 and the "Visitation of Maria" behind the altar are by Franz Anton Maulbertsch, the prolific Baroque artist. On the wishes of Bishop Migazzi this fresco was concealed behind a wall and replaced by a painting by Martin Johann Schmidt (1718-1801), known as Kremser-Schmidt, until its rediscovery in 1944. The altarpieces on both side altars at the entrance to the church are also by Schmidt.
The pillars of the rood screens are relics of the medieval cathedral; remains of pillars from the earlier building can be seen in the crypt.
Standing in front of the east side of the cathedral it is only a few yards to the music school established in 1972 by Béla Bártók on Kossuth tér which blends harmoniously into the Baroque surroundings.
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