Castle Chapel

According to a charter issued by King Béla V in 1260, Szigliget was granted to the Benedictine Order of Pannonhalma for the purpose of building a fortress. Through an exchange of estates, it became a royal castle in 1262. Researchers believe that during these two years, while the castle was being completed, the Benedictines most likely built a chapel here. Archaeologist Károly Kozák suggested that the vaulted ground‑floor hall of the upper castle probably served this function. It is the largest room in the entire fortress, both in floor area and height, which supports the assumption that the Benedictine chapel once stood here. For this reason, the reconstruction of the chapel in this very space draws directly from its original medieval roots. In agreement with the heritage authorities, the municipality restored the room to its former purpose. Among the colorful textile panels hanging from the tie‑rods, the first depicts King Béla IV, referring to the founder of the castle. The second and third panels show contemporary representations of the deeds of Saint Martin, alluding to Saint Martin’s Hill, where the first Benedictine church and monastery in Hungary were built at Pannonhalma. This is why the chapel bears the name of Saint Martin. The stainless‑steel cross standing before the natural rock wall — inscribed with 1260 O.S.B. 2010 — was designed and executed by architects Károly Kovács and István Rábel of the Veszprém Archdiocese.