A budavári Nagyboldogasszony-templom altemplomának átalakítása és a békéscsabai Páduai Szent Antal templom belsőépítészeti munkái
The transformation of the crypt of the Church of the Assumption in Buda Castle and the interior design works of the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua in Békéscsaba

Author(s): Márta Dragonits
Subject(s): Architecture, Visual Arts, History of Art
Published by: Pécsi Tudományegyetem Művészeti Kar Művészettörténet Tanszék
Summary/Abstract: The study examines the reconstruction of the crypt of the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle (Matthias Church) and the interior renovation of the Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Békéscsaba. The first part of the paper presents the historical background of the Matthias Church crypt and its connection to the royal burials of King Béla III and Queen Anna Chatillon. The author explains how Frigyes Schulek designed the present crypt beneath the sanctuary as a dignified burial place inspired by medieval traditions and royal memorial culture. The reconstruction aimed to preserve the historical atmosphere of the crypt while adapting it to modern liturgical and touristic functions. A new limestone altar was created in harmony with Schulek’s neo-Gothic design principles, and relics of early Christian martyrs were placed inside it. The project also included the restoration and redesign of liturgical furnishings, lighting systems, heating, seating, and visitor information elements integrated into the historic environment. The second part of the study discusses the large-scale restoration of the neo-Gothic Saint Anthony of Padua Church in Békéscsaba, originally designed by Antal Hofhauser and consecrated in 1910. During the renovation, the damaged flooring, outdated wall paintings, and liturgical spaces were renewed while preserving the church’s historic artistic values and spatial structure. The author introduced a symbolic decorative program dividing the interior into an “earthly zone” and a “heavenly zone,” connected to medieval Christian symbolism and spiritual concepts. The study concludes that both projects demonstrate how contemporary interior design and liturgical renewal can be harmoniously integrated into historic sacred architecture while respecting authenticity, symbolism, and historical continuity.

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