Photos

OK, may be not exactly here, the historians are still disputing about, but certainly within a circle of a few hundred meters. Saint Martin of Tours (Latin: Martinus), (316/317, Savaria, Pannonia – buried November 11, 397, Candes, Gaul) was a bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Roman Catholic saints. He is considered a spiritual bridge across Europe between France and Hungary. While Martin was still a soldier at Amiens he experienced the vision that became the most-repeated story about his life. He was at the gates of the city of Amiens with his soldiers when he met a scantily dressed beggar. He impulsively cut his own military cloak in half and shared it with the beggar. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing the half-cloak Martin had given away. He heard Jesus say to the angels: "Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptised; he has clad me."
He is a patron saint of France and of soldiers.

Szombathely is proud of her Roman origin since founded by Empreor Tiberius in 45 AD by the name of Colonia Claudia Savariensum. In the bottom right corner you can detect men with shining helmets: they are "legionars". The last weekend every August a Roman carnival will be organized during which a significant part of the local population spends its time on streets and squares wearing clothes of ancient Roman fashion, i.e. toga and tunica. (Also because of the allowances the properly dressed "Romans" get these days in shops and restaurants.) In the WS you can find photos of legionars and citizens.

The Baroque church (1635) belongs to the Franciscan Abbey existing since 1360, though in the period from 1950-1990 the order was expelled by the communist government.