Matthias Church

Matthias Church is a Roman Catholic church located in front of the Fishermans Bastion at the heart of Budas Castle District.

According to church tradition, it was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century.

Officially named as the Church of Our Lady, it has been popularly named after King Matthias, who ordered the transformation of its original southern tower.

The church has been used for several coronations, including that of Charles IV in 1916. It was also the site for the two weddings of King Matthias The first to Catherine of Pod?brady and, after her death, to Beatrice of Naples.

Following the capture of Buda in 1541 the church became the city's main mosque. During the century and a half of Turkish occupation, the majority of its ecclesiastical treasures were stolen. Ornate frescoes that previously adorned the walls of the building were whitewashed and interior furnishings stripped out.

The church was also a place of the so called Mary wonder. In 1686 during the siege of Buda by the Holy League a wall of the church collapsed due to cannon fire. An old votive statue of the Madonna had been hidden behind the wall. As the sculpture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the garrison collapsed and the city fell on the same day.