Székesfehérvár-King's town
Székesfehérvár, which was known by the name Alba Regia in the middle ages, is one of our most ancient towns in Hungary. The town witnessed a lot of glorious events of our history over the centuries. Our kings and their relatives were crowned and buried inside the walls of this town. This was the place where the throne as well as the other symbols of the royal power were treasured, and where from faraway lands assembled for the lawful days. Walking in the centre of Székesfehérvár you can sense the unique atmosphere of the town even more nowadays. The restored ancient monuments and buildings, the street-lightning that fits the atmosphere of the town, and the stoned town square all recall the historic atmosphere of Székesfehérvár.
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Stephen is a basilica in Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
It was built in the late 1010s by Saint Stephen I, the first King of Hungary. The basilica, one of the most impressive buildings in Europe at the time of its construction, was a technical miracle. It was the most significant place of the Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages, as it contained the crown jewels, including the throne, the Holy Crown of Hungary, the treasury and the archives. 37 kings and 39 queens consort were crowned in this basilica and 15 were buried in it. In 1543, the Turks occupied Székesfehérvár. The royal graves were ransacked and the basilica was used to store gunpowder while St. Martin's Cathedral in Pressburg became the new coronation site. In 1601, during the period of Ottoman rule, the basilica, filled with gunpowder, was destroyed by fire.
