The Downtown and the Danube bank in winter - Vác, Hongrie

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Coordonnées GPS: Latitude 47°46'33", Longitude 19°7'42" (N47 46.55 - E19 7.7) Carte

Sculptures of the apostles on the forefront of the Episcopal Cathedral of Vác

The inscriptions on beam (the so-called architrave) on the facade of the Vác Cathedral shows the titles of the church. The statues of the apostles above it were created by the local sculptor József Bechert.

"D.O.M." is an abbreviation of the Latin term "Deo Optimo Maximo", which means "To the greatest and best god". Originally it referred to Jupiter or Jove, the king of the gods in ancient Roman mythology, the expression was used in reference to the Christian God only later. Because in the Middle Ages the Latin remained the language of the church and the science, the abbreviation was still frequently used mostly on renaissance churches and sarcophagi.

Even more interestingly in some languages certain kinds of churches and cathedrals are also called almost like this. For example in Italian "duomo", in German "Dom" or "Domkirche" or in Polish "tum". The French word "dôme" means both dome (cupola) and some kind of cathedral, and the same is true for the Hungarian word "dóm". Even the English and Spanish languages uses the word "duomo" for the Italian cathedrals. However, in all these cases the denomination comes from the Latin "domus" word that means "home", and not from the "D.O.M." acronym. But on the other hand it is also possible that many tourists call the Cathedral of Vác as "Dom" or "dóm" simply due to its "D.O.M." inscription.

The only one Triumphal Arch building in current Hungary

The Triumphal Arch or "Stone Gate" (in Hungarian "Diadalív" or "Kőkapu") was built in 1764 on commission of Bishop Kristóf Migazzi. It is situated near the still functioning Vác Prison (in Hungarian "Váci Fegyház") that was established in 1855 and which building was originally a boarding school founded by Maria Theresa of Austria, inspired by the Theresianum in Vienna. The late neoclassical baroque (Zopf) style Triumphal Arch was designed by the French-born Austrian architect Isidore Canevale, the person who created the final plans of the Vác Cathedral as well.

Although the Triumphal Arch was erected in honor of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, according to an anecdote when she arrived she didn't dare to pass under it with her coach because the gate was built up so quickly, just in two weeks. However, when leaving she saw the structure is still stable and then she passed under it. And as can be seen, today the "Stone Gate" is still proudly standing over the road.