After driving through some lovely countryside (lots of corn and sunflower fields) and attractive villages (many red tile roofs), we arrived at the Archabbey Pannonhalma.
Benedictine monks have lived on this site since 996 when Geza, Prince of Hungary, settled a religious group from Bohemia on the Hill of Pannonia, already seen as sacred. The monastery’s charter was confirmed by King Saint Stephen, who is both a secular and religious figure in Hungary. The hill and the abbey dominate the surrounding countryside, and the view from the top is quite lovely.
The religious community originally held large tracts of land, both in the area and in the southern part of the country, but those were confiscated by the communist government after WWII. The monks bought back some of the land directly around the abbey after the end of communism in Hungary and are involved in grape growing and wine making. However, the monks’ primary work now is secondary education, operating a boy’s boarding school on the abbey grounds and another, coeducational, school in Gyor. The community now has about 50 monks, the same number which the communist government allowed during the Soviet era. Since those men are now old and dying, the total number of monks has not increased despite recent recruitment.
The abbey church, third building on the site, was completed in the 13th century. It is late Romanesque-early Gothic architecture, built at the time of King Matthias. Like most medieval buildings, it was changed and added to over the years.
During the time of the Ottoman Empire the conquering Turks used it for a mosque which actually helped preserve it since the structure was treated well, although all the furnishings were destroyed. Also, removed or damaged were any depictions of humans such as these faces found in the crypt area. Apparently destroying the noses made them no longer human so no further removal was necessary. After the Turks left, the restorer repaired the noses in a different stone so it would be clear what the occupiers had done.
The library is quite impressive. According to our guide, it is the 3rd largest library in Hungary and the largest Benedictine library in the world. The guide was aware of the project by St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, to digitize monastic manuscripts worldwide, noting that representatives had come to Pannonhalma to copy documents.
We walked down from the library to the visitor center and our bus to go to the nearby restaurant for lunch. After a long lunch we boarded the bus to return, I thought, to the hotel where I’d hoped I might be able to use the spa facilities. Instead we had our Hungarian surprise, which turned out to be very nice.
Leslie, one of the Hungarian band members who spoke excellent English, had made arrangements with Uncle Paul (never did determine if Paul was actually his uncle) to visit the family winery. It’s quite small, serving the immediate community. I’m not sure if they even have bottling facilities. The wine, using Italian-style grapes, was good – both the red and white were mild and dry. The peach schnapps was a little harsh, but it’s growing on me. We spent almost two hours enjoying the wine and the company which was great – but meant no time for the spa.
By the time we got back to the hotel, it was almost time to leave for the concert. I did get in 25 minutes of nap time, but then we were back on the bus heading for the park where the Voluta Festival was being held. There was a bit of a glitch as the bus got stuck in a mud hole on the drive through the field to get closer to the festival. We walked the rest of the way, and the bus driver was able to get the bus out with the help of some of the locals.
The Voluta is the river which runs through Mosonmagyarovar. There was food to buy including some yummy marzipan bonbons, entertainment for the kids, lots of drinking, and entertainment. The younger crowd was awaiting the rock music which followed the two bands, but the older folk and kids seemed to enjoy the bands.
The Hungarian band played for about half an hour looking really spiffy in their red uniforms. Then Star of the North played for 40 minutes. The concert ended with two rousing marches, a Hungarian one and, of course, Stars and Stripes Forever which were both played by the two bands together. Quite fun.
There was to be a gathering of the two bands with food after the concert. Helen and I opted out, deciding we’d rather return to the hotel and have the chance for a bit more sleep. I grabbed a gyros at one of the food stands as we left (along with about 8 others who decided to forgo the reception) and ate it on the bus returning to the hotel. It was definitely the right decision as I was able to get to bed before midnight.
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