Saint Gellért Statue

The statue of Saint Gerard, in Budapest

The statue of Saint Gerard, Gellért in Hungarian, dominates the Danube from the flank of the hill that bears his name, in tribute to the patron saint of Budapest. The Budapest audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this monument raised in 1904 in memory of a Venetian evangeliser, a martyr of the faith, whose tragic memory is linked to this side of the hill.

The patron saint and martyr of the city

With such an opening over the Danube, difficult not to wonder about this monumental silhouette. And as you glimpse it first from behind, dominating the city from the heights, the curiosity is greater still. It would be a pity not to stop for a moment to discover the man it represents, standing there since 1904, more than seven metres high. Standing, a golden cross raised towards the sky, it is Saint Gerard, or Gellért in Hungarian, considered as the patron saint of Budapest. His presence here is no chance, and it is fitting to evoke his history with respect and gravity. Born in Venice, Gerard of Csanád was crossing the region on his way to the Holy Land when he is said to have been called by King Stephen I to evangelise a still polytheistic population. But his mission did not unfold as planned. In the midst of a pagan revolt, he was captured, tortured, locked up in a barrel bristling with nails, then thrown into the void from this very side of the hill. Gerard was canonised in 1083, and it is in memory of his martyrdom that this emblematic hill today bears his name. The monument, backed by an arc-shaped colonnade from which gushes a waterfall, is discovered in contemplation, in tribute to the one who gave his life for his faith. A commemorative statue and a memory of a martyr, the statue of Saint Gerard is discovered with respect.

What to see

Here you discover, with respect, the statue of Saint Gerard, Gellért in Hungarian, patron saint of Budapest, raised in 1904 more than seven metres, a golden cross raised towards the sky; a Venetian evangeliser called by King Stephen I, he was martyred, thrown from this side of the hill that bears his name, and canonised in 1083. The statue of Saint Gerard is a place of memory of Budapest. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The statue of Saint Gerard stands on the flank of the Gellért hill, facing the Danube, in Budapest, reachable on foot. It is a monument in free access in the public space, to be discovered with respect, that also offers a fine view over the river and the bridges. You discover it during a walk on the hill.

Who was Saint Gerard, whose statue dominates Budapest?

An evangeliser born in Venice, called by King Stephen I to convert the population of Hungary, and considered as the patron saint of Budapest; during a pagan revolt, he was captured, tortured and thrown into the void from the side of the hill that today bears his name, the Gellért hill. Canonised in 1083, he is honoured with respect by this statue raised in 1904.

Where is the statue of Saint Gerard in Budapest?

On the flank of the Gellért hill, facing the Danube, in Budapest, in Hungary.