The Saint Demtrius Parish Church of Szeged

The Dömötör tower is the oldest building in Szeged, Hungary, as it resides on probable 11th century foundations, while the lower part was built after the 12th century in Romanesque style, and the upper part after the 13th century in Gothic style. The tower was once part of the former St. Demetrius Church, but today it stands in Dóm Square, in front of the much larger Votive Church of Szeged. The upper part was rebuilt from the original stones in 1926. The architecture of the tower is similar to another found in Southern France, or in the territory of the former Byzantine Empire. On the upper part, there are 48 pointed windows in three levels (sixteen on each level, two on every side of the octagonal levels). On the lower part, a gate was cut and the tower was turned to a baptismal chapel in 1931. Above the gate there is a replica of the oldest sculpture in Szeged, the stone lamb, an Agnus dei (Lamb of God) representation from the early 12th century. The replica replaced the original sculpture in 1991. Inside the tower, there is a fresco by Vilmos Aba-Novák of the baptism of Hungarians in the 11th century. Due to the mold growing on the rear wall, the baptismal chapel is no longer in use. Our reconstructions show the different periods of the building encompassed in an animation movie that can be seen on the location.