The faithful replica of the Hungarian Royal Crown, also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, was handcrafted by master jewellers from the family-run jewellery house Mikuš Diamonds. (source: MMB/DominikaBolgáčová)
This weekend, visitors to the Bratislava Coronation Days will once again have the opportunity to closely view a faithful replica of the Hungarian Royal Crown – also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen – in the Old Town Hall in the Bratislava city centre.
Last year marked the first time this remarkable piece was exhibited during the coronation celebrations, attracting more than 2,000 visitors who took advantage of this rare opportunity.
Exhibition of the Hungarian Royal Crown
Where: Bratislava City Museum (MMB), Old Market Hall, Radničná 1
Open: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00
Admission: €4 (the ticket enables visitors to continue in their tour on the same floor and naturally connect with the theme of coronations in the exhibition of the Old Town Hall (Courtroom, Council Chamber, Chapel of Saint Ladislaus, Tower Room, City Administration, Coronations, Nobility, The Story of the Old Town Hall, Crafts and Guilds, Trade, Industry, Associations, Danube).
The Hungarian Royal Crown is one of the oldest preserved coronation jewels in Europe. More than 50 Hungarian kings were crowned with it. Between 1563 and 1830, 10 kings and one reigning queen – Maria Theresa – were crowned with this very crown in St Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava.
Throughout history, the crown has symbolised the stability of the kingdom, though its journey has been anything but calm – surviving uprisings, being hidden from invading forces, and even evading the Soviet army. Today, the original is housed in the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest.
The crown will be exhibited in the historic Courtroom of the Old Town Hall, part of the Bratislava City Museum.
“A faithful replica was handcrafted by master jewellers from the family-run jewellery house Mikuš Diamonds,” explains Katarína Selecká, PR and Marketing Manager of the Bratislava City Museum (MMB). “Its production took over 1,000 hours and includes 362 hand-set natural pearls and no fewer than 98 gemstones of various kinds.”
The Bratislava Coronation Days will run from Friday, July 25, to Sunday, July 27, and will be dedicated to the memory of the Hungarian monarch Charles III.
