Mariinostra
A special sacred place, shrine of Mary, place of pilgrimage. One of the main attractions of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Hungarians of the Order of St. Paul is the icon of the Black Madonna, which was brought to Hungary from the headquarters of the Order of St. Paul in Poland. Pilgrimages to the shrine are often organised, but it is also accessible by a separate route. The monastery, built into the church wall, is now a penal institution, but that should not deter anyone from visiting the sacred site.
One of the country's best-known pilgrimage sites, it is named after the patron saint of the church (Maria nostra: Our Lady). The parish church of Our Lady of the Hungarians of the Pauline Order has a copy of the icon of Maryin Częstochowa, which was brought here as a gift. The Marian Ostra Fiestas are held on the first weekend in July, the beginning of September and the first week of December. Next to it is the Baroque monastery, the third largest in the country. Today it serves as a prison.
King Louis the Great once built the monastery for members of the Pauline order, with a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Hungarians. Thus the name of the settlement - Maria Nostra, or Our Lady.
The Gothic building is now only the sanctuary of the 14th century. The rest of the church was rebuilt in the 18th century and is still one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture.
Standing on a high terrace surrounded by a fence wall, the magnificent complex can be seen from afar.
Legend has it that St Hedwig was raised in the monastery and generously supported the monks of the Order of St Paul. In 2006, St. Hedvig became the patron saint of the Danube Bend, and since then she has also been the patron saint of the Danube Bend. The monastery and the church have not been spared by the storms of history. The monastery was repeatedly demolished and rebuilt, until in the early 1800s it was taken over by the state and run by the Sisters of Charity, initially as a women's prison. Later, in the 1950s, Mariánostra Prison became one of the most restrictive institutions, now with male inmates. Among the prisoners held here were István Bibó, Árpád Göncz, László Mensáros...
The church stands just behind the stone fence and arched gate. In the 1990's it was returned to the Palatine Order, with the addition of other buildings purchased. In 2012, the Church of Our Lady of the Hungarians was awarded the title of Basilica Minor by the Holy See, hence the name Basilica. At the entrance you can see the statue of the founder King Louis the Great, and above the entrance the unique Black Madonna.
The monastery is still owned by the state and is used as a prison.
The shrine can be reached by car, by long-distance bus and by the Szob - Nagybörzsöny railway.
Photos by Zsolt Benedek