HUNGARY Medal 1856 Esztergom Basilica - Inauguration. NGC MS 62

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Certification details

Certification number: 6635638-019

Grade: MS 62

Nominal value: SILVER

Mint Mark: ITALY

Variety: WURZB.-3304 ; BASILICA OF ESZTERGOM

Year: 1856-DATED

1856, Hungary. Esztergom Basilica - Inauguration. Silver Medal. (26gm) NGC MS62!

Mint Year: 1856
Reference: Wurzbach 3304.
Condition: Certified and graded by NGC as MS-62!
Denomination: Medal - Inauguration of the Primatial Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Adalbert in Esztergom.
Material: Silver
Weight: 26.12gm
Diameter: 45mm

Obverse: Illuminated front-view of the Esztergom Basilica. Hatted and tasseled coat-of-arms of Cardinal Scitovszky in exergue.
Legend: § BASILICA § STRIGONIENSIS

Reverse: Inscription in 13 lines ending with the date of the inauguration (1856).



The building of the present church took place on the foundation of several earlier churches. The first was built by Stephen I of Hungary between 1001–1010 (as the original Saint Adalbert church), the first cathedral in Hungary, which was burned down at the end of the 12th century. It was rebuilt, and even survived the Mongol invasion of Hungary. However, in 1304, Wenceslaus III, a probable candidate for the Hungarian throne, sacked the castle and the church. It was repaired in the following years. The archbishops of the 14th and 15th century made the church more ornate and added a huge library, the second most significant one in the country. It was ruined again under Turkish rule, in 1543. In 1820, the Archdiocese was restored and archbishop Sándor Rudnay decided to restore Esztergom's status as mother church of the country. The church maintains the relics of Catholic martyr and saint Marko Krizin.

The architect was Pál Kühnel and the lead contractor was János Packh. The foundation-stone was laid and work began in 1822. The Bakócz chapel was carefully disassembled (into about 1,600 pieces) and was moved 20 metres away from its original location and attached to the new basilica. In 1838 Packh was murdered, so József Hild was placed in charge of construction. He completed it in Classicistic style. Under the next archbishop, János Scitovszky, the upper church was completed and dedicated on August 31, 1856. The 1856 consecration ceremonies featured the premiere of the Missa solennis zur Einweihung der Basilika in Gran (Gran Mass), composed and conducted by Franz Liszt, and featuring the organist Alexander Winterberger. The final completion of the cathedral took place twelve years later in 1869.



The Primatial Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Adalbert (Hungarian: Nagyboldogasszony és Szent Adalbert prímási főszékesegyház), also known as the Esztergom Basilica (Hungarian: Esztergomi bazilika), is an ecclesiastic basilica in Esztergom, Hungary, the mother church of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, and the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary. It is dedicated to the Assumption of Saint Mary and Saint Adalbert.

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