St Stephen’s Basilica, built in Hellenistic and neo-Renaissant style, is to be found downtown, in the fifth district, surrounded by quiet little streets.
Surprisingly, the architectural structure is not that of a basilica, and its delineation has the shape of the Greek cross. The basilica is extremely rich in works of art, such as works by Bertalan Székely or Károly Lotz. It has five bells, of which even the smallest one weighs 500 kilograms! People started gathering money for its building already in the 1810’s, while construction works began in 1851 only and finished in 1905. Works were headed by József Hild, Miklós Ybl and József Kauser. From its consecration, the church has been the main stage for the Saint Stephen cult, and the Sacred Right arm has been kept here since 1971. Every year on August 20, the Sacred Right arm procession takes place here, when this relic is carried around.