The Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels are showing two exceptional Mosan enamel plaques discovered during excavations of the monastic complex at Pétermonostora, Hungary in exhibition. Some years ago I reported on the remarkable finds from this abbey church that was destroyed during the Mongol invasion. Research on the objects has progressed a great deal since then, and the time is now right for an exhibition showing the enamel plaques discovered at Pétermonostora in the company of similar artworks.
As the museum website points out, Mosan enamels found in an archaeological context are exceptionally rare. These two semicircular plaques, decorated with figurative champlevé enamels depicting the Ascension of Christ and the Washing of the Feet, were made around 1170 by a goldsmith trained in the Mosan tradition. They most probably formed part of the remains of a large polylobed phylactery reliquary, destroyed when the abbey was sacked during the Mongol invasion of 1241–1242. Beyond the spectacular nature of this discovery, these works shed new light on artistic, religious, and commercial exchanges between the Mosan region and medieval Hungary.
The plaques are displayed at the heart of the Treasure Room of the museums, alongside emblematic examples of Mosan art, such as the Stavelot portable altar and the reliquary gables from Maastricht. They are accompanied by a reconstruction of the two enamels produced by Pazirik Ltd. The exhibition will be on view until April 11, 2027.
Complementing the exhibition, an international study day will bring together researchers and specialists on 20 November 2026 to explore this exceptional discovery in greater depth, furthering the study of the fragments and examining the relationships between the Mosan region and Central Europe during the Middle Ages.
If you would like to know more about the reliquary and its archaeological and art historical context, I highly recommend the book by Bernát Rácz, who provides an in-depth analysis of the enamel plaques. You can obtain the book directly from the publisher, Archaeopress.
The Christian Museum in Esztergom reopened and now welcomes its visitors with a new concept and a completely renewed permanent exhibition. When transforming one of the most significant collections of ecclesiastical art in the country, the curators sought to present the most outstanding works of Hungarian and European Christian art in chronological order and in their geographical context. The new exhibition arrangement includes, in addition to masterpieces of Italian, Netherlandish, German, Austrian, and Hungarian art, selected pieces from the decorative arts collection as well. The new exhibition starts with the Italian paintings - the earlier pieces mainly coming from the collection of bishop Arnold Ipolyi, while the Renaissance masterpieces originate from Archbishop Simor's collection. Following this, the Central European medieval paintings and sculptures are presented: German, Austrian, and Hungarian works together. Here, visitors can encounter such outstanding works as the Calvary Altar of Thomas of Kolozsvár, the passion panels of Master MS, the Lord's coffin from Garamszentbenedek abbey, or Hans Memling's miniature depiction of the Man of Sorrows.
The Calvary-altar from Garamszentbenedek, 1427
The Christian Museum was established by Cardinal Archbishop János Simor in 1875, and it was moved to its present location in 1882. The previous permanent exhibition originated in the 1970s. During the renovation of the galleries, the primary consideration was the preservation of the historic built environment. The specialists removed the previous, now outdated interior elements, while preserving the original character of the neo-Renaissance Primate's Palace. The renovation also made the museum fully accessible.
The renovated Christian Museum was opened in a ceremonial setting in the Esztergom-Víziváros Parish Church on June 30, 2026. At the event, museum director Ildikó Kontsek greeted the guests, and Csaba Török, the parish priest of the basilica and university professor, and art historian Árpád Mikó opened the exhibition. The new exhibition was presented by curator Emese Sarkadi Nagy. Some years ago, I wrote about the online catalogue of late medieval artworks in the collection - now in the new exhibition, the results of the research of Emese Sarkadi Nagy can be seen in the new installation, specifically, in the form of new reconstructions and identifications of several Austrian altarpieces. The online catalogue has since been expanded, and you can find all the works on display in the database - naturally, with much better pictures than my snapshots taken on opening day.
Viennese painter, altarpiece of the Death of the Virgin
The museum is justifiably regarded as the best art museum in Hungary outside the capital, and a visit there is highly recommended. It should be combined with a visit to the Cathedral Treasury, which was also reinstalled a few years ago.
In March of 2026, a new book was published about one of the earliest sources of medieval Hungarian liturgy. One volume of a notated breviary from Esztergom, dating from the late 13th century, has been known for some time. This volume, the temporale section of a breviary, is kept in Strahovská knihovna, the library of the Royal Canonry of Premonstratensians at Strahov in Prague, under the shelf mark DE I 7. The codex was classified by Janka Szendrei in 1984 as a medieval Hungarian liturgical manuscript that originated from the archiepiscopal see of Esztergom (Strigonium, Gran) - it was also published by her and is also available in a digitized version. The sanctorale volume of this two-part manuscript was presumed to be lost. In 2019, Gábriel Soliva (OFM, Budapest) identified the sanctorale volume of Breviarium Notatum Strigoniense in the Metropolitanska knjižnica Zagrebačke nadbiskupije (Metropolitan Library, Zagreb) in 258 smaller or larger fragments glued onto the covers of 129 early printed books. All the fragments were glued onto the covers of printed books around 1692. Books bound with the leaves of BNS II hold two fragments: one on the front cover and another on the back. Some additional fragments were identified in other collections in Zagreb. Through painstaking work, the original manuscript was largely reconstructed from these fragments, at least in a digital version (as the books kept in Zagreb were naturally not dismantled). As a result of this reconstruction, the sanctorale part of the late 13th-century office of the archiepiscopal see of Esztergom can be studied in detail; a missing notated source of the most important liturgical tradition of medieval Hungary has been revealed.
You can read more about the reconstructed manuscript on this page, where you can also find the digital reconstruction of the codex. The results were also published in the following book: Breviarium notatum Strigoniense saeculi XIII. Pars sanctoralis, ed. and intr. by Gábriel Szoliva OFM. Musicalia Danubiana 27. Budapest: HUN-REN Research Centre for the Humanities, Institute for Musicology, 2025. ISBN 978 615 51
Want to hear the music? Head to the video of the presentation of the book at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and you can find parts performed by Schola Academica near the end of the video.
A major exhibition at the Museum of the City of Zagreb is dedicated to Gothic and Renaissance Goldsmithing in Zagreb (1450-1550). Most of the objects come from the Treasury of Zagreb Cathedral, one of the largest collections of ecclesiastical silver in Central Europe. The exhibition focuses on the hundred years at the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Turkish period in the history of the Kingdoms of Hungary and Croatia. Zagreb, along with the area around it, the medieval region of Slavonia, was one of the richest areas of the joint kingdom. The bishops of Zagreb in this period came from some of the most important noble families of Hungary, as the bishopric was seen as a stepping stone towards the seats of the archbishoprics of Kalocsa or even Esztergom.
The exhibition features over 50 large-scale goldsmith objects created during this period. In addition to liturgical objects from Zagreb cathedrals, treasures from other churches in the Zagreb Diocese are also displayed: most were relocated to Zagreb for safekeeping during the Ottoman Turkish occupation. Chronologically, the objects range from the mid-15th to the mid-16th century, and they bear late Gothic and Renaissance features, sometimes within the same object. The core part of the collection is connected to Zagreb bishops Osvát Laki Thuz, Lukács Baratin of Szeged, and Simon Erdődy. The latter was the cousin of Cardinal Tamás Bakócz, archbishop of Esztergom, and he was also a lucky survivor of the 1526 Battle of Mohács. His reign in Zagreb from 1518 to 1543 falls into the most transformative period of Hungarian and Croatian history.
The objects on view are representative crosiers of the bishops, along with monstrances and chalices, as well as reliquaries, crosses, and other objects. Together they present a breathtaking image of the richness and variety of goldsmith art at the end of the Middle Ages. While some objects surely must have been made in Zagreb, some of the large, masterful objects must originate from Buda or from some more faraway regions of the Kingdom of Hungary, such as Kassa / Košice or even from Transylvania. The objects in the exhibition are arranged in chronological groups, but there are also some thematic units, for example, those showing objects originating from some of the most important religious institutions of medieval Slavonia. Several objects survive from Pauline Abbey of Lepoglava, including a large monstrance donated by John Corvinus, the illegitimate son of Matthias Corvinus.
Overall, the exhibition gives an incomparable overview of the high quality of goldsmith works at the end of the Middle Ages in the Kingdoms of Hungary and Croatia. The exhibition project grew out of a book, published three years ago, and written by the curator, Arijana Koprčina of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, Zagreb. The exhibition was organized by MUO, in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Zagreb. It will be on view until January 30th, 2026. Although the book is so far only available in Croation, there is a booklet availble in the exhibition, so don't hesitate - go an have a look at these treasures, it is a rare opportunity!
An interesting book was published about architecture in East-Central Europe in the 10th-11th centuries. Written by Marta Graczynśka, the book was published by ARC Humanities Press in 2022. The monograph provides an overview of royal architecture of the Early Middle Ages in East Central Europe, with a special focus on the Kingdoms of Bohemia, Poland, and Hungary.
My review of the book was published in volume 100 of Speculum. A Journal of Medieval Studies, published by the Medieval Academy of America. You can read the review on the journal's website, but I also uploaded it below.
Citation: Zsombor Jékely: Review of Marta Graczyńska, Architecture and Power in Early Central Europe, trans. Joanna Sobczak. (Beyond Medieval Europe.) Leeds: ARC Humanities, 2022. Speculum. A Journal of Medieval Studies, 100/4 (2025), 1162-1164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/737885
One of the most important exhibitions of the summer was dedicated to the late Gothic painter known as Master MS, held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. At the heart of the monographic exhibition was Master MS’s most famous work: the former high altarpiece of Saint Catherine’s Church in Selmecbánya (now Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia), dated to 1506. The seven surviving panel paintings of this monumental masterpiece of late medieval art have never been brought together in a single exhibition before. I wrote a brief review of the exhibition, which was published in the September 2025 issue of Hungarian Review. You can read it on the journal's website, but I am also including it here on the blog.
On June 20, 2025, members of the International Center of Medieval Art and other
medieval art historians gathered for a tour of
the exhibition dedicated to Master MS and his
age at the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. You can read about this event in ICMA News (Summer 2025).
The cover of ICMA News and Hungarian Review, both featuring Master MS
Citation: Zsombor Jékely: New Attributions in the Art of Master MS. Hungarian Review, Vol. 16/3 (2025), 117-125.
Marble console from the Franciscan Church of Visegrád
Archaeological excavations carried out in 2024 have brought to light the remains of the former Franciscan church at Visegrád. In 1425, the site of the former chapel of Saint George was given to the Observant Franciscans by King Sigismund - the newly established monastery was located right next to the royal palace in the lower town of Visegrád. The site of the monastery buildings had already been excavated during the 1980s-1990s. It was well-known from those excavations, that the original monastery was rebuilt in the late Gothic period, starting with a formal reestablishment of the institution by King Matthias in 1473. There was no chance until now to excavate the site of the church itself, which is located just south of the monastery quadrant. The church's location was known precisely, as the southwestern corner of the sanctuary had already been found at the earlier excavations. As the monastery of the Observant Franciscans was founded by the king and was part of the palace complex, there was no doubt that the church had to be a building worthy of a royal residence.
Excavations, led by Gergely Buzás, have brought to light the church, which consisted of a five-bay long single nave and a somewhat narrower sanctuary terminating in three sides of an octagon. Below the sanctuary, a crypt was discovered - this is where most of the ribs of the former sanctuary vault were found. Among the rubble, three mutilated skeletons and fragments of white marble carvings were found. Along with smaller fragments, the archaeologists pulled out two Renaissance consoles, decorated with cherub heads. The slightly damaged white marble carvings display exceptional quality, indicating that a leading master of the Florentine Quattrocento must have carved them. Francesco Caglioti identified the master with Benedetto da Maiano. It is well-known that Benedetto had spent some time at the Hungarian court, documented by his Vita written by Giorgio Vasari and some documents relating to payments. Vasari claims that after his failure as a woodworker (his intarsia pieces fell apart as he presented them to the king), Benedetto dedicated himself to the art of carving in marble. Not so long ago, Paolo Pamiggiani also attributed the famous double portrait of King Matthias and his wife Beatrice of Aragon to Benedetto da Maiano.
Benedetto da Maiano: Queen Beatrice and King Matthias. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
Consoles with cherub heads, encircled by wings appear on several works of Benedetto da Maiano, such as the eucharistic ciborium at the Collegiata of San Gimignano or on his smaller tabernacle at Santa Barnaba in Firenze, and on the Strozzi tomb in Santa Maria Novella. At Visegrád, two such consoles were found, so a more elaborate structure, perhaps an altarpiece was made by Benedetto in the 1480s. Fragments of an adoring angel - possibly similar to those seen on the Strozzi tomb - were also found, indicating a larger sculptural ensemble.
Carvings attributed to Benedetto da Maiano from the Franciscan Church of Visegrád
It is not at all certain that Benedetto da Maiano's altar was erected in the church during King Matthias's lifetime, as the choir and sanctuary vaults were only completed during the reign of the next ruler, Wladislas II. The building received an elaborate Late Gothic net vault, which could be reconstructed from the large number of rib fragments found. Late Gothic was quite popular at the time of King Matthias and his Jagiellonian successors - in churches, usually only some elements of internal furnishings, namely tabernacles, and altarpieces were made in Renaissance style. This was the case for example at the Inner City parish church of Pest (now Budapest), where a Renaissance white marble altar and two red marble tabernacles were installed in the early 16th century. The Franciscan church at Visegrád was built as a Gothic church and thus had to be finished with a Gothic vault. The theoretical reconstruction of the vault was carried out by Balázs Szőke.
Gothic ribs and the mason mark of Anton Pilgram
The net vault had a particular feature: its ribs were designed with double curves, a feature that became common in Central Europe particularly thanks to Benedikt Ried, court architect of Wladislas II (the prime example being the Great Hall of Prague Castle). At Visegrád, the finds point to another noted master mason of the period: Anton Pilgram. His characteristic mason sign was found on three of the ribs excavated from the Franciscan church. Anton Pilgram originated from Brno (Brünn) and later became the master mason of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna between 1511-1515. His most famous works are preserved there: the pulpit of the cathedral and the organ gallery, both with a portrait of the Master. It should be pointed out that Anton Pilgram was primarily an architect and master mason, he did not work as a sculptor, so these works should not be considered self-portraits (see the discussion on Pilgram by Gábor Endrődi). The activity of Anton Pilgram in the Kingdom of Hungary can also be traced in Besztercebánya (Banská Bystrica, Neusohl). Here he likely supplied plans for the new vaults of the Church of Our Lady along with the vaults of some chapels and the sacristy on the north side of the church. This construction took place around 1500. His insignia also appears on the vault of the church of Zólyomszászfalu (Sásová, Sachsendorft), just outside of Besztercebánya. The vault that he likely designed for Visegrád presents a novel solution: in addition to a regular net vault, he added ribs forming semicircles, creating flower-like shapes. The design for this vault survives in the plan archive of the Vienna building lodge in several copies - until now it was not known to what building these plans belong to.
Theoretical reconstruction of the vault of the Franciscan Church of Visegrád, created by Balázs Szőke
The supposition is that the design and construction of the Franciscan Church of Visegrád took place in the 1490s, before Master Anton returned to his native Brno in 1500. We are not sure when construction was finished, but in 1513, the general assembly of the Observant Franciscans was already held at the church. By this time the Renaissance white marble carvings of Benedetto da Maiano must have been installed under the late Gothic vaults designed by Anton Pilgram. This duality of styles - and the desire to seek out the best artists of their generation - characterized the last decades of medieval Hungary, just before the catastrophic battle of Mohács in 1526. Although 1526 did not mean the end of the Franciscan monastery at Visegrád, the church was ravaged by the Ottoman troops at that time. Visegrád was later sieged by King Ferdinand in 1540, after the death of his opponent, King John of Szapolyai. This internal conflict was eventually resolved by Suleiman the Magnificent and his Ottoman troops, who occupied Buda in 1541. The Kingdom of Hungary was divided into three parts, and the Turks eventually occupied Visegrád in 1544. After this, the Franciscan church and monastery fell into ruin along with the adjacent royal palace, and their stones were later used for construction in the village. Almost nothing remained on the site until the period of 20th-century archaeological excavations. The history of medieval art in Hungary has to be reconstructed from the fragments this research has brought to life.
The excavations have already generated a lot of publicity. You can follow the developments in the Archheologia Altum Castrum online magazine of the King Matthias Museum, or have a look at this detailed article by András Zsuppán on Válasz Online (in Hungarian). You can also look at these two videos for a better idea of the importance of the finds.
All photos courtesy of the HNM King Matthias Museum, Visegrád
.jpg)
.png)
