Millenniumi Emlékmű

The Millennium Monument on Heroes' Square in Budapest is a major neoclassical ensemble commemorating the country's thousand-year anniversary. Built between 1896 and 1906, it is dominated by a 118-foot (36-meter) column topped by a figure of the Archangel Gabriel. He holds the Hungarian crown and the apostolic double cross, symbols of the legend of the transfer of sovereignty to the Hungarian people. At the foot of the column stand equestrian statues of Prince Árpád and six other tribal chieftains, representing the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin. Flanking the monument are two semicircular colonnades, each 13 meters (43 feet) high, which serve as a pantheon of Hungarian history. Between the columns stand statues of important figures from the earliest days through the late 19th century. Here you'll find a dense concentration of historical figures who reflect the country's national identity and political upheavals, including the replacement of statues of Habsburg rulers with those of freedom fighters during the Communist era.