Hero’s Square
Budapest, Hungary
September 12, 2008
Budapest, Hungary
September 12, 2008
A stroll down Andrássy Avenue eventually led me to the wide expanse of “Hero’s Square” and the Millenary Monument built to commemorate 1000 years of Hungarian history. At first glance, the visual symmetry of the semi-circular memorial didn’t appear to extend to it’s message. A seeming mishmash of themes surrounded me – statuettes of kings and statesmen, the archangel Gabriel atop a Corinthian column, a cenotaph dedicated to fallen soldiers, fierce chieftains on horseback, a charioteering woman and couple tending the fields. A quick study of the guidebook shed enough light to let me appreciate the jumble for what it is – a patriotic tribute to a country with a long, complicated and noble past.
