Travel Guide Szombathely

Szombathely is an economic and cultural centre in the western region. Every year, in June, the Savaria dance festival is held there.On the Roman route of amber. Earlier than the Hungarian nation, Szombathely was founded by Divine emperor Claudius in 43 BC, under the name Colonia Claudia Savaria. It was one of the northernmost cities of the Roman Empire. It was located on the amber road, made of basalt stone with a perfectly smooth surface. There are still some sections that are well preserved. Szombathely was a religious centre in the Roman province of Pannonia and flourished at this time of history. The centre of the city was built around the present garden of the Ruins. In 455, the city was damaged by an earthquake. It was the beginning of its decline. Later, German travellers the qualifièrent of "stein am anger" (stones on the plain). Documents of 860 mention it on the occasion of its integration into the Diocese of Salzburg by Louis II, King des Francs. The city was returned to Hungary as a dowry of marriage, when King Szent István took the wife Gizella of Bavaria. In the Middle Ages, the city was famous for its large market on Saturday (hence its current name, szombat meaning Saturday). In the th century, two striking events struck the population: the great plague in 1710 and a terrible fire in 1716. However, a new era was born after the Empress of Austria, Marie-Thérèse, had elevated the city to the rank of diocese. His first archbishop, János Szily, undertook extensive construction work: the college of priests, the palace of bishops and the cathedral. Finally, in 1865, following a real development plan, Szombathely expanded considerably, with a new library, casino, hotel Savaria and the Savaria Museum. The first world war and the Treaty of Trianon put an end to the development of the city. And, during World War II, the Allied bombings almost completely destroyed its old centre. During the s, during the Communist regime, its proximity to the Austrian border (and the west) succeeded in Rester to remain ignored by the Hungarian Government. It was only from the 1960 s that its development was able to resume.