The largest burial construction of Hungary can be visited again

According to travelo.hu, Kossuth mausoleum, which was renovated by the National Heritage Institute, was unveiled in the Fiumei Road graveyard on last Wednesday. The largest burial construction of Hungary can be visited again in guided groups.

Lajos Kossuth was the spiritual leader of the 1848-49 war of independence and the governor of Hungary. After the war, he emigrated, and he eventually died in Turin, Italy in 1894.  Budapest wanted to erect a worthy resting place. The capital put up for tender in 1900, which took an unexpected turn, but the final winners were the architect Kalman Gertser and the sculptor Alajos Strobl, supported by Ferenc Kossuth, who was the son of Lajos Kossuth.

In 1903, the construction began and lasted for 6 years. The bronze Genius – who stands on the upper canopy and stops a lion – and the limestone  female figure of “Hungaria” placed over the entrance are the works of Alajos Strobl. The stone sarcophagus located under the canopy with Doric columns is a symbolic tomb; Kossuth actually rests in the inside of the mausoleum. The biggest value of the interior, which can remind us of the early Christian Ravenna mausoleum, is the mosaic decoration made in the workshop of Miksa Roth – based on the carton of Dezso Kolber: angels in white robe hold a wreath next to the sarcophagus of the dead statesman, travelo.hu wrote.

Lajos Kossuth and his wife, daughter and sister were buried there on November 25, 1909. In 1914, Ferenc Kossuth and in 1923, Lajos Tivadar Kossuth were placed there (the two sons of Kossuth).

The mausoleum was damaged during the Second World War and the 1956 revolution. It was sketchily renovated, and it underwent a reconstruction between 1993 and 1998, but water retention could not be eradicated.

The National Heritage Institute called for tenders at the end of 2015, which was won by Downtown Building Ltd. and Reko Consult Conservation, Contractor and Consultant Ltd. The contractors completed the job on time and did not use the HUF 410 million in full. After the comprehensive restoration, the interior can be visited again in guided groups – MTI wrote.

based on the article of travelo.hu

Photos: MTI

Copy editor: bm

Source: http://travelo.hu