Az esztergomi Szent Adalbert székesegyház késő gótikus boltozata
The late Gothic vault of the St. Adalbert Cathedral in Esztergom

Author(s): Balázs Szőke
Subject(s): Architecture, History of Art
Published by: Pécsi Tudományegyetem Művészeti Kar Művészettörténet Tanszék
Keywords: late Gothic; net vault; Saint Adalbert Cathedral; Esztergom; rib vaulting; architectural reconstruction; medieval architecture; digital modeling; Central European Gothic; Bakócz Tamás
Summary/Abstract: The study examines the late Gothic vaulting system of the former Saint Adalbert Cathedral in Esztergom through the analysis of surviving rib fragments and vault nodes preserved in local museum collections. The author argues that earlier reconstructions identifying the structure as a star vault are incorrect because the measured 42-degree rib elevation corresponds instead to a complex net vault system. Detailed geometric measurements of the rib junctions reveal a distorted rectangular ground plan adapted to the proportions of the cathedral choir. The paper reconstructs the probable spatial arrangement of the vaults using architectural drawings, manual surveys, and digital modeling techniques. The analysis demonstrates that the reconstructed vault likely covered the eastern choir sections of the cathedral and may also have extended into the nave. The author compares the Esztergom vault with numerous Central European late Gothic examples, including structures in Maulbronn, Gyulafehérvár, Eger, Siklós, Debrecen, and Krems. These analogies show that the Esztergom vault belonged to a widespread late Gothic vaulting tradition derived from South German architectural practice. The study also highlights the importance of digital photogrammetry and CAD-based reconstruction methods in verifying medieval vault geometry and construction principles. According to the author, the vault was probably built during the archbishopric of Tamás Bakócz around the same period as the famous Bakócz Chapel. Overall, the article contributes to the understanding of Hungarian late Gothic architecture by reconstructing a lost monumental vaulting system and placing it within a broader Central European artistic network.

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