St. Andrew's Basilica
Building, structure
The Basilica of St. Andrew in Komárom is the most important church in the city, one of the dominant buildings in the city. It is located on Nádor Street, opposite the Danube River Museum. It was built by the Jesuits between 1748 and 1756. It collapsed during the 1763 earthquake, but was rebuilt in the following years according to the original plans. In its current form, it was built between 1768 and 1771 in the Baroque style.
After the dissolution of the Jesuit order, it came into the hands of the Benedictine order. It experienced several fires and natural disasters. The great city fire of 1848 almost completely destroyed it. It was restored by 1860, with public donations.
The towers remained truncated, and the slender roof that is still visible today was built in 1896 by parish priest Károly Gusztáv Majláth. The church bells were requisitioned during the First World War. On July 13, 1924, parish priest Imre Majer consecrated the new bells, which cost 90,000 crowns. He paid the 20,000 crowns for one bell himself.
The church was hit by several grenades during World War II, the roof was damaged, and some of the painted windows were broken. In the 1970s, it was renovated as a listed building with state support. The church is famous for its good acoustics, and organ competitions are often held here.
In one of its side chapels, there is a monument to the Catholics who fell in World War I from 1931, created by Gyula Berecz. Until World War II, the Lord's Day procession (known in Komárom as prosecció) started from the church, in which members of the city's guilds and industrial associations marched with their flags (which were also kept in the church). The military parade and the military band of the castle also participated in the procession until the First World War. The statue of Saint Florian and the city's coat of arms can be seen on the eastern wall of the church.
In 2013, the facade of the church and one of its towers were renovated.
The church was awarded the rank of basilica (basilica minor) in 2018. It has excellent acoustics and its imposing organ, one of the best in the region, also provides an opportunity to organize concerts. The organ was made by Carl Friedrich Ferdinand Buckow, the Prussian royal and Austrian imperial and royal organ builder.
The main altar was made by Karl Petrus from Vienna between 1855-1860. The altarpiece depicts Saint Andrew.
There is a large, 3-level crypt under the church, where about 500 tombs lie. Most of them are empty and have never been used.
After the dissolution of the Jesuit order, it came into the hands of the Benedictine order. It experienced several fires and natural disasters. The great city fire of 1848 almost completely destroyed it. It was restored by 1860, with public donations.
The towers remained truncated, and the slender roof that is still visible today was built in 1896 by parish priest Károly Gusztáv Majláth. The church bells were requisitioned during the First World War. On July 13, 1924, parish priest Imre Majer consecrated the new bells, which cost 90,000 crowns. He paid the 20,000 crowns for one bell himself.
The church was hit by several grenades during World War II, the roof was damaged, and some of the painted windows were broken. In the 1970s, it was renovated as a listed building with state support. The church is famous for its good acoustics, and organ competitions are often held here.
In one of its side chapels, there is a monument to the Catholics who fell in World War I from 1931, created by Gyula Berecz. Until World War II, the Lord's Day procession (known in Komárom as prosecció) started from the church, in which members of the city's guilds and industrial associations marched with their flags (which were also kept in the church). The military parade and the military band of the castle also participated in the procession until the First World War. The statue of Saint Florian and the city's coat of arms can be seen on the eastern wall of the church.
In 2013, the facade of the church and one of its towers were renovated.
The church was awarded the rank of basilica (basilica minor) in 2018. It has excellent acoustics and its imposing organ, one of the best in the region, also provides an opportunity to organize concerts. The organ was made by Carl Friedrich Ferdinand Buckow, the Prussian royal and Austrian imperial and royal organ builder.
The main altar was made by Karl Petrus from Vienna between 1855-1860. The altarpiece depicts Saint Andrew.
There is a large, 3-level crypt under the church, where about 500 tombs lie. Most of them are empty and have never been used.