the St Peter cathedral of Pécs - 12-13th centuries
The first cathedral of the bishopric of Pécs - founded on 1009 - burnt down in 1064. The constructions of a huge basilica with three naves was presumably started after that. The naves of the Lombard style basilica close with semi-circular apsides. There is a big crypt with five naves and supporting pillars under the risen chancel. From among the square towers on the corners of the building the ones on the western side were built at the beginning of the 12th century, the eastern pair of towers were built at the end of the century.
The inner decorations are the richest around the naves and the chancel, and the entrances to the crypt. The Altar of the Holy Cross, which was richly decorated; and we can see the Agnus Dei scene on its closing stone - stood at the end of the nave, in front of the wall of the chancel. The altar was built in the middle of the 12th century. The original place of the reliefs, which decorate the entrances to the crypt, representing Biblical scenes, is hotly debated. Presumably their current place is just secondary, originally they might have been the decorations of the richly dressed chancel divider, together with the Altar of the Holy Cross.
The northern entrance to the crypt is decorated with the representations of the creation of the world. The six days of creation are symbolised by God Almighty standing in a niche, with the symbol of the creation that day under his feet. Above Him there was a ribbon of reliefs showing the story of the first human couple. It started with the creation of Adam and Eve, showing the Fall and the Expulsion from Paradise.
At the southern entrance to the crypt we can see the story of Samson. Besides well-known Biblical scenes there special ones, for example, the scene where showing his great strength, Samson pulls out a tree by the roots. The series of reliefs above it show scenes from the New Testament, from Jesus's birth to the Passion in the third row. It must have closed with the Resurrection. The story of the shepherds of Betlehem and the Three Kings survived in very good condition.
Some figurative representations also survived: a few beautiful angels and the figures of the old musicians of the Apocalypse, and some apostle-reliefs. The tomb-stone representing the blessing of Isaac is quite outstanding, as we can see an old Christian oran figure with carved decorations at his head and clothes. The fragment from the first half of the 13th century is that of a supporting stone with a Hungarian head with a moustache and a head of a bishop. |
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