Sensational: Medieval church discovered beneath Visegrád tennis court reveals architectural masterpieces

In the spring of 2023, an unexpected discovery was made in Visegrád: the remains of the Church of the Virgin Mary, part of a medieval Franciscan monastery, were discovered under a tennis court. A collapsed crypt of the church’s sanctuary was found on the site, concealing unique late Gothic vaulting elements.

The archaeologists first used 3D scanning technology to document the excavated elements, and then began excavating them from the crypt. The resulting data allowed an authentic reconstruction of the shape of the former net vault, a milestone in the study of medieval architecture.

Source: Facebook / Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum

According to the Facebook page of the Hungarian National Museum, careful examination of the more than 100 stone elements recovered has led experts to conclude that the floor plan of the Visegrád sanctuary vault has not been completely lost. Based on medieval plans, they established that copies of the vault plans had survived in the archives of the building workshop of St Stephen’s Church in Vienna.

This unique discovery has given us the opportunity to get an accurate picture of the former state of the Visegrád sanctuary. The plans in the Vienna archives are a unique example of medieval architectural heritage, and the Visegrád remains, together with them, occupy an important place in the architectural history of Central Europe.

Identifying workers and craftsmen

The excavation of the Visegrád church has focused attention not only on the architectural elements, but also on the work of the stonemasons. On several pieces of stone, carefully engraved line drawings or carving marks were found, which identified the craftsmen. These marks were not only a guarantee of the quality of the work, but also the basis for the craftsmen’s wages. These marks are of particular importance to historians as they rarely allow the identification of specific master builders.

On the vaults of the Visegrád sanctuary, three stone carvings have been identified, which art historians attribute to Anton Pilgram. Pilgram, who was born in Brno and later became Master of the Chapter of St Stephen’s Church in Vienna, was one of the first ‘self-confident artistic geniuses’ in Central Europe. His work is documented in contemporary sources: between 1500 and 1511 he worked as a municipal master builder in Brno, before taking over the building of St Stephen’s in Vienna. He was also responsible for the church’s famous pulpit and richly decorated organ gallery.

One of Pilgram’s most important technical innovations was the construction of vaults made of curved ribs. According to the Visegrád vaulting elements, Pilgram worked as a stonemason on the vaulting of the Franciscan church sanctuary at the beginning of his career, between 1498 and 1500. This work was obviously very important for him, as he took his designs with him to Brno and then to Vienna, where he developed and applied them.

Visegrád Heritage: Past meets future

The results of the excavations have not only been an exciting discovery for archaeologists and art historians, but have also contributed to a renewed focus on the cultural heritage of the medieval town as part of the Visegrád Renaissance Development Programme. The reconstruction of the sanctuary vault of the Franciscan Church of Visegrád sheds light on a little-known but extremely important chapter in the history of architecture in Central Europe and is a fitting tribute to the artistic talent of Master Anton Pilgram. This discovery is not only a tribute to the past, but also a tribute to architectural innovation of value to both local and international communities.

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