It took ten months to plan the journey from the tower to the crane’s hook. When the time came to set off, it was hoisted using a hand-operated winch and then moved towards the window centimetre by centimetre on rollers. ‘Old Mihály’, from St Michael’s Cathedral in Veszprém, left the tower for the first time in the autumn of 2024, after 299 years.
The Holy Trinity bell, cast in 1725, survived the world wars, whilst its counterparts were taken away for military purposes. Ultimately, it was its own suspension system that put it at risk. Its original bronze crown – the fixing piece at the top – was sawn off in 1937 and replaced with a cast-iron structure secured by bolts. Over the decades, the fastenings deteriorated to such an extent that the bell could no longer be used safely.
To save him, they had to travel as far as Innsbruck. A new bronze crown was cast for him at the Grassmayr workshop; to secure it in place, his massive body was kept under a heat shield at 800 degrees Celsius for weeks on end. Meanwhile, a long-standing question was finally answered: when weighed at the foundry, Old Michael came in at 3,338 kilograms.
In 2025, it rang out once more. Following its restoration, its tone became clearer and a quarter-tone deeper; the tones of the five new bells were tuned to match it. The oldest bell set the tone for the new ones.
This week, the ringing of the bells also recalls a story from much earlier. 23 October: the day of remembrance for Saint John of Capistrano, one of the key figures in the victory at Nándorfehérvár. However, the papal decree ordering the midday ringing of the bells preceded the victory: on 29 June 1456, it called for prayers for victory. The battle was won on 22 July.
The October commemorations also take us back to the more recent past of the Castle District. Every day between 23 and 25 October at 10.30 am, during the guided castle tour ‘Light and Devotion – Remembering Bishop Mindszenty’ , we can recall the story of Veszprém’s former bishop at the Archbishop’s Palace and the Gizella Chapel.
The ‘Journey Through a Thousand Years’ castle tour showcases St Mihály’s Church, together with the crypt and St George’s Chapel. During the autumn half-term, from 26 to 31 October, the stories will be accompanied by puzzles: on the 2.00 pm ‘Light and Devotion – Messages from the Walls’ and the 4.00 pm ‘Journey Through a Thousand Years – The Secret of the Threshold’ walks, visitors can search for the answers to the puzzles by observing the fine details of the buildings.
The ‘Wanderer’, ‘Explorer’ and ‘Grand Traveller’ package deals will soon offer new ways to explore the thousand-year-old Castle District: in addition to guided walks, you can enhance your visit – whether it lasts a few hours, half a day or a full day – with cultural experiences and the culinary delights of the Castellum Restaurant.
