Szent Gellért Monument by Gyula Jankovits, 1904
Gellért-hegy (Gellért Hill)
Budapest, September 2017
“Szent Gellért Monument (a.k.a. Saint Gerard Statue) is on the northeast side of Gellért Hill, rocky crag towering 235m above the Danube. The monument honors Saint Gellért Sagredo (980-1046), the first Hungarian bishop and early Christian evangelizer. Gellért was a member of a noble Venetian family who traveled to Hungary while on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. King Stephen I asked him to stay and educate of the his son, the young prince Emeric. In 1030 the king appointed Gellért first bishop of Marosvár (Csanád), where he founded a monastery, a cathedral, and a school for priests; he converted many Hungarians to Christianity. During the struggle for the throne following the death of Stephen I, Gellért was martyred in 1046. Insurgents who wanted a return to paganism captured Gellért in Buda; according to legend, he placed in a barrel pierced with nails and rolled down the steep hill. He was first buried across the river in Pest, but then his body was moved to Csanád in 1053. He was canonized in 1083 by Pope Gregory VII, and is one of the patron saints of Hungary. The Szent Gellért monument is a 12m bronze statue (1904 by sculptor Gyula Jankovits) of the bishop at the site where Gellért was killed. The statue depicts Gellért victoriously holding aloft a crucifix while at his feet a wild-looking Magyar looks up in awe at the bishop. The statue is framed by a neoclassical semi-circular colonnade, with a man-made waterfall tumbling below. The monument offers panoramic views over the Danube, Elisabeth Bridge, Pest, and the hills beyond. A nice 0.5km walk (one way) from the Pest waterfront is to cross Elisabeth Bridge and ascend the paved pathway (stairs and street lights) on the other side of the bridge to the monument. Bus 7 and Tram 19 stop at Dobrentei ter. at the foot of the hill. Gellért Monument is beautifully lit at night, and accessible at all times with no entry fee.” (Szent Gellért Monument, Tripadvisor)
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