I’ve always loved this tiny little square in downtown Budapest. The church seemed old and therefore cool and it had a couple buildings facing it that had clearly meant something at some point. Szervita tér has only recently been rehabilitated, and boy does it look good.
Let's start with the St. Anne Church (Belvárosi Szent Anna Templom). Built over the course of a couple decades in the late 1600s and early 1700s, its facade is a masterpiece of Hungarian Baroque architecture, and its tower is the second oldest in Budapest. But it had been neglected for decades after World War II, covered with city grime and surrounded by rickety wood scaffolding reluctantly erected more to protect people from falling bits than to support any sort of preservation work. Even after communist rule ended in 1989, the St. Anne Church remained in a sad state until around 2013.
But careful renovation over the past decade have brought it back to life, and now it’s one of the best-preserved Baroque buildings in the city. Inside are awesome frescoes and carvings and So. Much. Gold. The high altar is fantastic with a portrait of St. Anne teaching her daughter, the Virgin Mary.
Another gem of Szervita tér is the equally captivating is the Török Bankház, or Turkish Bank building. This Art Nouveau masterpiece was built in 1906 as the bank's headquarters. It too fell prey to neglect and the ravages of World War II. But even in its worst days in the early 1990s, the building seemed graceful. At the very top, you could just make out a gorgeous mosaic even under all the dirt and soot.
They’ve completely redone the building and you can see that mosaic better now. “Glory to Hungary” was designed by artist Miksa Róth and it shows the patron saint of Hungary, the Virgin Mary, surrounded by angels, shepherds, and Hungarian heroes. Only a little over the top—my favorite kind of over the top.
Facing and flanking these two for as long as I can remember were a couple terrible office buildings and a bulky, unattractive parking garage built in the 1970s in the stark, utilitarian style common to Soviet-era architecture. The garage, especially, was a real eyesore, especially in contrast to the church and the 19th-century buildings that survived the war.
But guess what? They just replaced those brutalist, communist-era buildings with the Szervita Square Building, a modern structure with a shimmering glass façade and softer lines. And, wow, does it look good next to and reflecting the Baroque and Eclectic styles around it. found in the square.
So this little square, which I’ve always liked, is better than even. I usually take the long way ‘round, if necessary, so I can walk through it. Next time you're in Budapest, check it out!
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