Pannonhalma's most notable landmark, one of the oldest historical monuments in Hungary, the Pannonhalma Benedictine Archabbey can be found next to the town, on top of a hill (282 m). Saint Martin of Tours is believed to be born at the foot of this hill, hence its former name, Mount of Saint Martin. This is the second largest territorial (ie., approx. sovereign) abbey in the world, after the one in Monte Cassino. Pannonhalma is a small town in western Hungary, in Győr-Moson-Sopron county with approx. ... ... An abbey (from the Latin abbatia, which is derived from the Syriac abba, father), is a Christian monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serve as the spiritual father or mother of the community. ... Statue of Saint Martin cutting his cloak in two. ... The restored Abbey Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about eighty miles (130 km) south of Rome, Italy, a mile to the west of the town of Cassino (the Roman Cassinum having been on the hill) and about 1700 ft (520 m) altitude. ...

The monastery complex

Its notable sights include the Basilica with the Crypt (built in the XIII century), the Cloisters, the monumental Library with 360,000 volumes, the Baroque Refectory and the Archabbey Collection (the second biggest in the country). Today there are about 50 monks living in the monastery. The abbey is supplemented by the Benedictine Secondary School, a boys' boarding school. The Basilica of St. ... Cloister of Saint Trophimus, in Arles, France A cloister (from latin claustrum) is part of cathedrals and abbeys architecture. ... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens: dynamic figures spiral down around a void: draperies blow: a whirl of movement lit in a shaft of light, rendered in a free bravura handling of paint In arts, the Baroque (or baroque) is both a period and the style that dominated it. ... A refectory is a dining room, especially in monasteries, boarding schools and academic institutions. ...

History

It was founded as the first Hungarian Benedictine cloister in 996 by Prince Géza, who designated this place for the monks to settle down, and the place soon became the centre of the Benedictine order. Géza's son, King Stephen I donated estates and privilege to the monastery. The first written record of Hungarian language, the Charter of the Tihany Benedictine Abbey, dating back to 1055, is still preserved in the library. The first buildings of the community were destroyed, then rebuilt in 1137. The Basilica's pillars and the early Gothic vault were built in the early XIII century, using the walls of the former church. In 1486 it was reconstructed under King Matthias in Gothic style. The monastery became an archabbey in 1541 and in the XVI and XVII century it was turned into a fortification. In the XVII and XVIII century, the complex had rich Baroque adjustments and extensions (much of its present parts was made at this time). It received its present form in 1832, with the library and the tower built in classicistic style. In the 1860's, major renovations took place by Ferenc Storno, mostly in the basilica. – In 1995, one year before the millennium, the complex was entirely reconstructed and renovated. In 1996, "the Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment" was elected among the World Heritage sites. Events March/April - Pope John XV dies before being being able to coronate Otto III, King of Germany as Holy Roman Emperor. ... Géza of Hungary (born around 940-945, died in 997) (possibly Gyécsa in Old Hungarian, Gejza in Slovak), was the fejedelem (ruling prince) of the Magyars from c. ... Stephen the Great raising the double cross: equestrian sculpture by Alajos Stróbl, 1906, crowns the Fishermens Bastion, Budapest. ... The Hungarian language is a Finno-Ugric language spoken in Hungary and in the adjacent states of Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia, Croatia, Austria, and Slovenia (to all of which Hungary lost territory after World War I). ... Tihany is a village on the northern shore of Lake Balaton on the Tihany Peninsula. ... Events January 11 - Theodora becomes Reigning Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. ... See also Gothic art. ... Matthias Corvinus as depicted in Chronica Hungarorum by Ján z Turca Matthias Corvinus (Hungarian: Corvinus Mátyás and Hunyadi Mátyás, Romanian: Matei Corvin) (February 23, 1443 (?) – April 6, 1490) was one of the greatest Kings of Hungary, ruling between 1458 and 1490. ... Nakhal Fort, one of the best-preserved forts in Oman. ... Classicism door in Olomouc, The Czech Republic. ... A millennium is a period of time, literally equal to one thousand years (from Latin mille, thousand, and annum, year). ... This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. ...

Szent Gellért College of Theology

There is a College of Theology functioning in the archabbey, named after Saint Gellert. Gerard Sagredo (also Gellért, c. ...

Secondary School

See the article Benedictine Secondary School, Pannonhalma

Further sights

Around the monastery one can find the Arboretum (founded in 1820, with more than 400 species, among them several specialities), the Millennium Monument (Neoclassicistic, 1896), the Our Lady Chapel (Baroque, 1724; Romantic, 1865), the Way of the Cross (Baroque, 1724), and the Blessed Maurice Lookout Tower in the woods nearby. An arboretum is a botanical garden primarily devoted to trees and other woody plants, forming a living collection of trees intended at least partly for scientific study. ...

See also

Further settlements of the Benedictine Order

• Győr
• Tihany
• Bakonybél
• Budapest

The title given to this article lacks diacritics because of certain technical limitations. ... Tihany is a village on the northern shore of Lake Balaton on the Tihany Peninsula. ... Budapest seen from north. ...

External links

• Archabbey of Pannonhalma
• Catholic Encyclopedia entry
• UNESCO description
• Description & pictures
• Description & pictures (Hungary.com)
• Pannonhalma, letter of privileges of Pannonhalma (The Vazul-line: Kings of the Árpád dynasty after St. Stephen (1038—1301))