It is often said that the devil is in the detail. Why should this be any different with statues?
And yet, these obvious symbols often remain unremarked by the observer, even though they may bear many messages from the past. Can you recall off the top of your head what the Freedom Statue on Gellért Hill is lifting? Or what the American Statue of Liberty holds in her left hand? Not so easy to answer quickly, is it?
The two of them have stood proudly on the north side of the castle for almost 100 years, with the Bakony Hills forming the backdrop behind them.
However, if you then ask what St Stephen and Gisela are holding in their hands, then your Hungarian might be left guessing. It is perhaps easier to guess the answer in the case of Hungary’s king: the sword, symbol of judicial power and the globus cruciger, symbol of peaceful intent. The question of which treasured object Gisela holds in her hand is not so easy. To answer, it is necessary to know about the queen’s connection with Veszprém. It is said that the Bavarian queen loved Veszprém very much, spent a lot of time here and is also credited with founding the cathedral. This is why her stone likeness is holding a model of this holy building, treasuring it, as she did during her lifetime.
