Hungary was established as a Christian Catholic kingdom under Stephen I (István), a descendant of Árpád, the Magyar leader who united the tribes into one nation in the Carpathian Basin. Stephen was crowned on Christmas Day 1000 AD in the then capital, Esztergom, where he was born. He greatly expanded Hungarian control over the Carpathian Basin, establishing Christianity in the region and is generally considered to be the founder of Hungary. He was canonised in 1083, becoming the most popular saint in Hungary and its patron saint.
According to tradition Pope Silvester II, with the consent of the Holy Roman Emperor, Otto III, sent a magnificent jeweled gold crown to Stephen along with an apostolic cross. The crown that survives today was probably never worn by the king himself, as it has been dated to the 12th century. It was removed from the country in 1945 and entrusted…
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