Although King Andrew I had designated the monastery himself as the burial place in the foundation charter of Tihany Abbey, this fact has only now been confirmed with the help of modern technology.Continue reading
The ceremony marking the completion of the renovation of the Benedictine Abbey of Tihany and the blessing of the Royal Crypt was celebrated on Saturday. Tamás Sulyok, President of the Republic, said that the two towers of Tihany (at the northern shore of Lake Balaton) are still a point of reference for us, just like the cross on top of the Holy Crown.
He explained that the Benedictine Abbey of Tihany and its 11th century sub-church is a sacred, distinguished place in Hungary, partly because it is the resting place of King Andrew I of the Árpád dynasty. Him and his son, Prince David rest here, as proven by scientific research. Everything here are reminders of the beginnings of Hungarian statehood.
There are few better places than Tihany to confront our history and ourselves,
said the politician. King Andrew I, at his coronation, was expected to lead the Kingdom of Hungary and to strengthen the historic alliance between Christianity and Hungarianism for the nation’s hopeful future. For the appreciation of our homeland, we pay tribute to our ancestors and to all those who fought for Hungarian freedom, who built Hungarian culture, who dedicated their lives to evangelizing the lands of the Carpathian Basin, who worked for the well-being of their families for generations,” said Tamás Sulyok.
He added that despite the perilous times, Andrew I had the strength to continue the work of King Stephen, his predecessor, and did not turn his back on physical and spiritual construction. He invited the Benedictine monks to Tihany.
At the mass held on the occasion of the celebration, Archbishop György Udvardy of Veszprém (near Lake Balaton) said that real faith creates culture. After the mass and the blessing of the Royal Crypt, Jeromos Mihályi, Prior of Tihany, spoke about
the burial place of King Andrew I as one of the most important, intact holy places of Hungarian medieval history and architecture.
He explained that the government had supported the renovation of the Benedictine Abbey of Tihany with 7.2 billion forints (18 million euros). From a historical point of view, the most important part of this investment was the complete reconstruction of the great church.
Via MTI; Featured picture: MTI/Bruzák Noémi