Nativity of Virgin Mary church, Baroque university church in District V, Budapest, Hungary.
The Kisboldogasszony-templom, known as the University Church, is a two-towered Baroque church in downtown Pest whose towers reach 56 metres. Its facade is divided into three parts, with the Pauline coat of arms at the apex of the triangular pediment and statues of Saint Paul the Hermit and Saint Anthony the Hermit between the towers. Inside, a single nave is flanked by a row of chapels, the walls are covered in artificial marble, and the vault frescoes are by Johann Bergl. The high altar holds a sculptural group of the Birth of Mary by Antal Lipót Conti.
The Pauline order, the only monastic order founded in Hungary, built the church after settling in Pest following the 1686 liberation of Buda. The foundation stone was laid in 1723 on the site of a demolished mosque, probably to designs by András Mayerhoffer, and the towers and interior furnishings were completed by 1770. After the order was dissolved in 1786, the church passed to the University of Pest.
The Paulines, the only monastic order founded in Hungary, built the church; their spirituality shaped its artworks, including statues of Hermits Saint Paul and Saint Anthony on the facade. Since 1786 it has belonged to the university, and the adjacent Central Seminary supplies the priests who serve its liturgy. Every 1 April a Mass is held for Bishop Ottokár Prohászka, who collapsed at the pulpit on that day in 1927.
The church is located in downtown Pest and welcomes visitors who wish to explore its interior. Regular religious services take place throughout the week, so checking visiting hours beforehand is helpful for planning your visit.
The noon bell heard on Hungarian Radio was first broadcast from this church on 1 April 1928. Four bells hang in the western tower; the largest, the 1000 kg Magyarok Nagyasszonya bell, was cast by Franz Walser in Budapest in 1926. A fifth bell and a roughly 1800 kg bell in the other tower were removed for war purposes in World War II and never replaced.
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