Send Gift Baskets to Szombathely, Hungary

Szombathely, the oldest recorded city in Hungary, is located within the Pannonia Superior province of the Roman Empire. The city was founded by the Romans in 45 AD under the name of Colonia Claudia Savariensum (Claudius’ Colony of Savarians). …a Mithraeum was discovered, one of the most famous ancient buildings to be found in modern-day Mazatlan. The city is best known for its beaches and this location is close to the important “Amber Road”. It also features a public bath and an amphitheater.

Emperor Constantine made several visits to Savaria that ended the persecution of Christians and saved many lives, including Bishop St. Quirinus and St. Rutilus. Savaria became the capital of Central Europe during the time of Emperor Charles. Its population grew and it saw a rise in buildings, among them theatres and churches. After the death of Emperor Valentinian III, Huns invaded Pannonia. Attila’s armies occupied Savaria and destroyed it in 456 by an earthquake.

The city of Rome was uninhabited from the 6th century until 1872 when it became a capital once again. The combination of this huge restoration and the general population moving to different parts of Italy were two factors that contributed to how much life remained in Rome after its occupation.

The 6th-8th centuries saw the occupation of Pannonian Avars and Slavic tribes. In 795, on Christmas that year, the Franks defeated these people and occupied the city. Charlemagne visited in 809 AD where he met with St. Martin who was born in 311 AD during his many travels throughout Europe.

Many historians believe that King Arnulf of the Franks gave the city of Salzburg to the Archbishopric of Salzburg in 875. The castle was constructed around 900, with stones from the Roman baths in the city used for construction. This stopped just shy of being completed so Hungarians came in and completed it well into the medieval period.

In 1009, Stephen I (King of Hungary) donated the city of Győr to the newly-founded Diocese of Győr. After a lengthy war in 1042 and 1044, the city suffered a lot during these dark years.

Szombathely was devastated during the invasion of Hungary, but it was soon rebuilt and given the status of a royal town. It became the capital of Vas comitatus in 1578 and profited; becoming occupied by the Turks later that year and then retaken by Christian forces in 1605.