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Shrouded during recent restoration, the Basilica has emerged looking better than ever: the blackened, polluted facade has been thoroughly cleaned. Above the entrance is the Latin slogan "Ego sum via veritas et vita" ("I am the way, the truth and the life"). This church, the city's largest, was built on the site of the unholy 'Prank Theatre', an animal-cruelty extravaganza in which bears, wolves and hyenas tore each other to shreds while bloodthirsty crowds egged them on.
Construction of the Basilica began in 1851 but was not completed until 1905, because the dome caved in. If you're reading this inside the church and are now casting a wary eye upward, concentrate instead on the fact that the dome is exactly as tall as that of Parliament - 96m.
The church contains the mummified right hand of King St. Stephen, founder of the Hungarian state. To see this relic, head to the chapel to the left of the main altar. Drop 100 Ft in the slot, and the glass case lights up to reveal this celebrated extremity in all its gnarled brown glory. The price is the same whether you've come to venerate a holy relic or merely to indulge your morbid curiosity.
To get to the viewing platform above the cupola, take the elevator up, then scale 146 more steps - great views of Budapest.
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