CHAPTER HILL AND BASILICA OF GYŐR

This hill is the historic heart of the city. It has been "restructured" into a vast museum complex comprising 6 different venues: the basilica and its tower, its museum, the Apor Vilmos exhibition - bishop of Győr martyred by the Nazis - dedicated to Hungarian martyrs, the bishop's library and Gothic treasury, the Szent László Látogatóközpont museum dedicated to the history of the bishopric of Győr, and finally a museum dedicated to the sculptor Ferenc Lebő. From the basilica's tower, there's an exceptional panoramic view of the old town and surrounding new town.

The basilica, in flamboyant Baroque style, rises majestically to the top of the hill. The frescoes and paintings in the sacristy are by Franz-Anton Maulbertsch, one of the greatest exponents of German Baroque. The famous icon of the Weeping Virgin comes from Ireland. According to local legend, on St. Patrick's Day three hundred years ago, the icon shed tears of blood, a mysterious and revered event. In the Hédeváry chapel, one of the most precious treasures is the Hermes bust of King Szent László ^I (Ladislas ^I), an astonishing masterpiece of Hungarian goldsmithery. This reliquary embodies the pinnacle of this art in medieval Hungary. Incidentally, Győr is the city with the highest number of relics in the whole country; over 170 monuments and relics are officially registered here. Worth seeing.