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"By entering the stairway of the Bibliotheca, our attention is drawn by the secco paintings of Gábor Magasi Németh painter, who studied in Berlin and Munich, and prepared the secco paintings for Antal Leopold canon according to his “jussu et sumptu” order (meaning that the secco painting was prepared according to order and at the expense of the orderer).
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The painting on the side wall of the stairway was prepared in 1931 and represents the life of the library in the old times, by idealising the fact of the foundation and representing the ecclesiastical and secular notabilities of Esztergom as well as the ones being related to Esztergom."
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On the side walls upstairs we can observe the painted figure of ecclesiastical people playing a role in the life of the library. Canon János Küküllői, whose heritage gift — as tradition tells us — provided a base for the library at the end of the 14th century. Canon János László Kőszeghy, canonici columnares and vicar general (+1641), whose library served — according to his will — as a base for the separate captiular library of Nagyszombat (Trnava) Archbishop Ferenc Forgách , who provided the books to the library from the heritage of archbishops and canons during the council of Nagyszombat in 1611 by means of a statute. Archbishop György Lippay, who paid 3300 gold coins for the library of Antal Fugger in Vienna comprising 1681 volumes. Archbishop János Scitovszky; it is to his merit that the building could house the Cathedral Library in 1853.

Zoltán Kovách, The History of the Cathedral Library of Esztergom From the 11th Century to 1820, 2nd expanded edition, Esztergom, Cathedral Library of Esztergom, 2011, p. 6.


János Küküllői (1320k-1393/1394)

Canon of Esztergom, archdeacon, vicar general, chronicle writer
János Kőszeghy (?-1641)

Canon of Esztergom, vicar general
Ferenc Forgách (1560-1615)

Cardinal, primate, archbishop of Esztergom
György Lippay (1600-1666)

Primate, archbishop of Esztergom
János Scitovszky (1785-1866)

Cardinal, prince-primate, archbishop of Esztergom

"The ceiling painting under the name “The Book of Seven Seals” was painted in 1930 and depicts the revelation of John the Apostle, author of the Book of Revelation, at the end of the first century. We can see the Beloved Disciple experiencing a revelation at one of the barren islands of the Aegean Sea, in Patmos, where he was exiled by Emperor Domitian. (Revelation 1, 9-10). We are witnesses of the event when the Father sitting on the throne hands over the scroll (here we can find the relation to the library) to the Lamb, to the Son, containing the decisions on the future of humanity, sealed with seven seals, while all creatures worship him (Revelations 5, 1-14). Then we can observe the breaking of four seals: the horsemen of the Apocalypse. The horseman of the white horse represents the victorious words of God, the red one represents war, the black one is the symbol if famine, while the pale horse is the symbol of death (Revelations 6, 1-8). The whole picture obviously intends to express how powerful books are, how much power knowledge constitutes, which can serve as prosperity of humanity as well as its destruction and decay."
Zoltán Kovách, The History of the Cathedral Library of Esztergom From the 11th Century to 1820, 2nd expanded edition, Esztergom, Cathedral Library of Esztergom, 2011, p. 6.

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