The history of the Veszprém Bishopric, later Archbishopric, stretches far back into antiquity. Early descriptions already refer to events in the 9th century. Throughout its thousand-year history, the castle district has experienced numerous trials and also developments, of which we are proud. With the help of the timeline below, you can also learn about the most important and outstanding events in our history, right up to the present day.
Little is known about the early period of the history of Veszprém Castle. In addition to archaeological excavations, historians rely on only a few - questionable - records and chronicle data. One such report is the one written by the Archbishop of Salzburg to Pope Adrian II, in which Veszprém is presumably mentioned. According to the text, in the province of Pannonia, belonging to Kocelj, the Moravian vassal of the Franks, in the city of Ortahu, the archbishop consecrated a church in honour of Saint Michael. If this church is identical to today's Saint Michael’s Cathedral, and consequently Ortahu is identical to Veszprém, then the castle and the town could have existed before the Hungarian conquest - however, the archaeological finds do not currently support this.
After the death of Grand Prince Géza, Koppány, a leader, rebelled against the rule of Stephen. According to the legend written by Bishop Hartvik, Koppány was besieging Veszprém, where the grand prince and his court usually resided, when Stephen and his army arrived to relieve the seat. The decisive battle took place near Veszprém - presumably in the vicinity of the settlement of Sóly - and ended with Koppány's defeat.
At the Easter Synod in Ravenna, the Hungarian church organization plan was approved, initiating the organization of the Archbishopric of Esztergom, as well as the bishoprics of Eger, Kalocsa, and Veszprém. Veszprém likely became a bishopric seat from 1001 or 1002, but it can be reliably traced back to 1009. Veszprém was one of the earliest organized counties, and it was where the country's first bishopric was established. During this time, the ecclesiastical centre, that is, the bishopric, and the secular seat were located side by side on Castle Hill. The ecclesiastical centre may have consisted of the "ancient" round church and the accompanying stone house, while the complex belonging to the secular power stood at the site of the present palace.
Around this time, Saint Stephen established the Virgin Mary Greek Nunnery in Veszprém Valley (Veszprémvölgy). Some assumptions suggest that the nuns might have arrived in Hungary accompanying the Byzantine wife of Prince Saint Emeric. The foundation document of the nunnery, written in Greek and with an unknown date, was preserved in the 1109 transcript of King Coloman. According to tradition, the robe made here was donated by King Stephen and Queen Gisela to the royal basilica in Székesfehérvár in 1031, which later, converted into a mantle, became part of the coronation jewels.
Benedek, the Bishop of Veszprém, founded the St. Catherine Dominican Nuns Monastery, the ruins of which stand beneath Veszprém Castle, at the foot of St. Benedict Hill (Benedek-hegy). The remains are now also called Margit-ruins because Princess Margaret, daughter of King Béla IV - whom her parents dedicated to God if the country were saved from the Mongol invasions - was raised in this convent between 1246 and 1252.
During the reign of King Ladislaus IV, one episode of the struggle for territorial power among the magnates was the devastation of the episcopal see of Veszprém. The enormous destruction resulted in the loss of many valuables of the cathedral, the chapter school, and the archives. Some researchers argue that the archive was established in the 11th century, while others suggest it occurred during the reign of King Béla III (1172-1196) or perhaps during the tenure of Bishop Róbert (1209-1226). Although the late medieval name of the university, the universitas , does not appear in the sources, many consider this institution at least symbolically as the predecessor of the University of Veszprém, and it is certain that high-quality education, including legal studies, was conducted within its walls.
Under the grant of King Charles I (1308–1340), the Veszprém bishop obtained hereditary (chief) county lordship over Veszprém County, thereby gaining secular jurisdiction alongside ecclesiastical authority over his followers. At this time, the bishop was István Ákos (1311-1322), who also served as the queen's chancellor from 1312 until his death. In exchange for the lordship, the king acquired from him the tithe of Csepel Island (Csepel-sziget), and then on June 29, 1318, he also received Szentendre with an exchange from the bishop for the Visegrád castle estate.
Around 1420, he was active in Hungary, serving as an advisor to King Sigismund, a papal legate, and as the apostolic administrator of the Veszprém Diocese between 1412 and 1424. In his palace in Castiglione Olona, northern Italy, there is a painting by the Tuscan artist Masolino da Panicale from 1433, where, according to tradition, the artist depicted Veszprém. If true, this would be the earliest known depiction of the city with towers and walls. However, most researchers approach the question cautiously, considering the painting more of an idealised landscape depiction.
In 1552, the Turks reached Veszprém, and after a seven-day siege, they captured it. During the siege, the traitorous soldiers who fled the castle were killed by the Turks, and four of the remaining canons were murdered, while three were taken captive. The bishop had already fled to Sümeg, while the surviving canons fled to Zalaegerszeg, Sopron, and Pozsony, and the nuns fled to Körmend. The chapter as an institution ceased to exist until 1630. The castle was reconquered in 1566, but between 1593 and 1598, it was again under Turkish occupation. Until 1684, the city changed hands several times - seventeen times in two hundred years.
Veszprém was not spared from the events of the Rákóczi War of Independence. On January 26, 1704, the Veszprém Castle surrendered to Rákóczi's forces. The soldiers, led by Simon Forgách, were hosted by the population, while the general was hosted by Pál Kecskeméti, the grand provost. A few months later, on May 31, the imperial forces, led by Sigfrid Heister, recaptured the castle. The Kuruc troops were driven out, Heister took revenge by taking the provost captive, plundering the city and its inhabitants, and setting fire to the cathedral. The latter was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1723.
The eastern part of the Veszprém diocese was separated to form the Székesfehérvár Diocese, while the western part of the diocese and the southwestern part of the Győr Diocese were used to establish the Szombathely Diocese. At the same time, the Veszprém Bishopric also received the Deanery of Pápa from the Győr Diocese.
Emperor Franz Joseph visited Veszprém. The occasion was to inspect Europe's most modern, newly inaugurated military training ground. The monarch had previously made brief visits to the city in 1852 and 1857, but in 1908, he stayed for three days to attend military exercises in Hajmáskér, accompanied by Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863–1914). During their stay, they resided in the archbishop's palace, where a bronze plaque in the staircase commemorates the significant event.
In preparation for the 900th anniversary of the death of King Saint Stephen, the Gisela Chapel and Castle’s well (Várkút) were restored. The ruins of the Greek nuns' convent in Veszprém Valley and the Dominican monastery below the castle were excavated. At this time, a representative lookout tower was built at the northern end of the castle, where the statues of King Saint Stephen and Blessed Queen Gisela, as well as the bronze statue of Prince Saint Emeric, were placed on the northern side of the cathedral.
The passage of the Second World War front, as well as the battles on the territory of the bishopric, had severe consequences for both the faithful and the church. During World War II, the Crown Guard evacuated the coronation regalia and the Holy Right to Austria. Between November 5 and 8, 1944, the crown jewels and the holy relics were kept in Veszprém. Later, they were transported to Mattsee near Salzburg, where they were buried in a gasoline drum sawn in half on the shore of the lake. In 1945, the Holy Right returned to Hungary, but the Holy Crown, after a tumultuous journey, returned to Hungary only in 1978.
In the years following the war, with the establishment of the communist dictatorship, the dismantling of the ecclesiastical institutional system began, along with the nationalisation of schools and church assets. By 1956, 30 priests of the diocese had suffered imprisonment or internment. In 1950, the religious orders were dissolved, and social institutions under church control were nationalised. One year later, the Minor Seminary was closed, followed by the closure of the Major Seminary the following year. The work of the episcopal office was placed under the supervision of appointees from the State Church Office (Állami Egyházügyi Hivatal).
In the 1980s, there was a relaxation in national politics, and from 1990, the recovery of nationalised properties and the return of church buildings began. In 1993, Pope John Paul II raised Veszprém to the rank of archdiocese. According to his decree, József Szendi, traditionally the 100th bishop of Veszprém, became the first archbishop of the archdiocese.
The Veszprém Castle Quarter is undergoing renovation. The restoration of 18 historic buildings is taking place simultaneously. The work, which includes gardens as well as buildings, will be completed in the summer of 2025, but some attractions of the castle quarter will be open to visitors earlier.
