Wender·Vista
St. Stephen's Basilica
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileHungary
in the Lipótváros quarter of Pest, central Budapest

St. Stephen's Basilica

— — the dome that ties the city to its first king.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The largest church in Budapest, completed in 1905 after fifty-four years of work. Dedicated to Stephen, the first king of Hungary, who was crowned in the year 1000. The neoclassical dome rises to ninety-six metres, tied by city ordinance with the Parliament across the river. In the chapel to the left of the apse rests the mummified right hand of Stephen himself. Down on Zrínyi Street the cafés look up at the façade and the bells answer the hour.

from the studio
St. Stephen's Basilica
— bring it home

St. Stephen's Basilica, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about St. Stephen's Basilica

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Szent István-bazilika stands at Szent István tér in the Lipótváros district of Pest, the flat side of Budapest. Construction began in 1851 under József Hild, continued under Miklós Ybl after the original dome collapsed in 1868, and was completed in 1905 by József Kauser. The basilica is dedicated to Stephen I, the founder and first crowned king of Hungary, who reigned from 1000 to 1038. The dome reaches ninety-six metres, deliberately matched to the height of the Hungarian Parliament across the Danube.

— informed by Wikipedia
— the stone

The basilica follows a neoclassical Greek-cross plan, built mostly of limestone and trimmed with marble inside. The Carrara marble statue of Stephen above the high altar is by Alajos Stróbl. The original dome, designed by József Hild, collapsed during a storm in 1868 while the building was still under construction; Miklós Ybl rebuilt it to a different design, shifting the front from neo-Renaissance toward a heavier neoclassical reading. Bronze reliefs of Stephen's life run in panels around the apse and the chapel arches.

— the visit

The basilica is open daily, with a small entrance donation requested and a separate ticket for the observation gallery beneath the dome. A lift and 364 steps both reach the upper terrace, which offers a 360-degree view of Pest and the Danube. The Holy Right Hand of Stephen, his mummified right hand, sits in a glass reliquary in the chapel to the left of the apse and is processed through the city each 20 August, Hungary's national day. Organ concerts run several evenings a week.

— informed by Bazilika.biz
— where
Hungary · Lipótváros, Budapest
— position
47.5009° N · 19.0540° E
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km NW
Hungarian Parliament Building
parliament
1 km W
Chain Bridge
historic bridge
1 km W
Danube Promenade
riverfront walk
1 km E
Andrássy Avenue
grand boulevard
1 km SW
Vörösmarty Square
city square
N
St. Stephen's Basilica
Hungarian Parliament Building
Chain Bridge
Danube Promenade
Andrássy Avenue
Vörösmarty Square
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about St. Stephen's Basilica — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The dome reaches ninety-six metres, deliberately tied with the Hungarian Parliament across the Danube. Budapest building rules have kept anything taller from being built in the historic city centre since.

Construction began in 1851 under József Hild and was completed in 1905 under Miklós Ybl and József Kauser, fifty-four years later. The original dome collapsed during a storm in 1868 and had to be redesigned.

Stephen I, founder of the Hungarian state and its first crowned king, reigned from 1000 to 1038. He was canonised in 1083. The basilica holds his mummified right hand as a relic.

Yes. A lift and 364 steps both reach the observation gallery beneath the dome, which gives a 360-degree view over Pest and across the Danube to Buda. A separate ticket is required.

Each 20 August, Hungary's national day, marking the feast of Saint Stephen. The reliquary is carried through the streets around the basilica in a procession dating to the Habsburg era.

— about the piece in your home

It reads as a careful gift for friends and family with Hungarian roots or memories of the city. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio sits well on a console or a desk.

The basilica's stone palette, gold leaf, and lamplight read well in European Classical, Old World, and Jewel-tone Maximalist rooms. The dome's symmetry anchors a hallway or a dining-room wall.

Yes. The current direction favours specific architectural places over generic Old World prints. A Large of the basilica reads as a destination rather than a stylistic gesture, which dates better.

A single Large covers a standard console. Above a sofa, a 4-tile Mural or a 9-tile Mural balances the wall properly. The Triptych works for narrower walls between windows.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and built for vertical installation in damp rooms. The Glossy finish is reserved for framed wall pieces away from steam.

A microfibre cloth and plain water. No solvents, no abrasive pads. The colour lives in the surface under a thin protective layer, so day-to-day care is the same as for a smooth tile.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is made in our family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. We do not license artwork in or out. The eye behind the atlas is Reid Wender's.

— if this one stayed with you

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