Send Gift Baskets to Szekesfehervar, Hungary

The city’s history dates back to ancient times. It was inhabited by the Romans before it was invaded and then left for centuries. As for modern-day Fejér county, in 882 CE it became part of the Avar Khaganate, and then later on under the control of Slavs and Great Moravians in 917 CE. Alba Regalis (or Alba Regia) is a Latin term that simply means “royal white.” The name dates back to the Middle Ages when it referred to the duchy of Auvergne, a historical region in France. Even today, the historical value of Schwechat is recognized. Its role in trade and traffic activity makes it an important junction for Europe.

Grand Prince Géza of the Árpád dynasty was the nominal overlord of all seven Magyar tribes but in reality, ruled only part of the united territory. He aimed to integrate Hungary into Christian Western Europe by rebuilding the state according to Western European institutions. Géza founded the town of Esztergom on four islands in the 9th century between the Gaja stream and its tributary, the Sárvíz. This Hungarian tributary of the Danube is one of its most important ones. He lived in a small stone castle. It was first mentioned in a document by the Bishopric of Veszprém, 1009, as Alba Civitas.

Stephen I of Hungary granted town rights to the settlement, surrounded the town with a plank wall, and founded a school and a monastery. Under his rule, the construction of the Romanesque Székesfehérvár Basilica began. It was built between 1003 and 1054 by Stephen’s successor, Géza I of Hungary. The royal seat in Hungary, Székesfehérvár had about 3,500 inhabitants. And for 100 years it was the site of 43 coronations and 15 burials.

Sights in András Town from the 12th Century included churches, monasteries, and houses being built. It was an important station along the pilgrim route to the holy land. The king issued the golden bull here in 1222. The bull of social organization, the fundamental right that nobles had to be protected and the king’s duties to Rome were included in the Constitution of Hungary until 1848. It is often compared with England’s Magna Carta.