Szentistván
Encyclopedia
Szentistván is a village in Northern Hungary
, in the Mezőkövesd district of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
county.
).
, south from Highway M3. It is a rural area with little industry in the village. Most of its inhabitants work in the nearest town, Mezőkövesd
.
the village was destroyed several times, in 1641 it was mentioned as a deserted place. It was only after the revolution led by Francis II Rákóczi
(early 18th century) that the village began to prosper. Until 1945 it was church property, belonging to the Archdiocese of Eger
.
, Szentistván, Tard
). The matyó embroidery is one of the finest examples of Hungarian folk art.
The center of Matyóland is Mezőkövesd. The Matyó got their name after King Matthias
, a Hungarian king in the 15th century, who gave certain rights to the town of Mezőkövesd. The Matyó people are famous for the traditional, very colorful embroidery which was developed by a local drawing artist, Bori Kisjankó.
Szentistván is known for its folk art because traditions have been kept alive by its inhabitants. Elder women in the village still make embroideries on a regular basis, in some cases for their living.
Another custom of the women is the making of huge cakes and tarts from sugar. These cakes are sold to the people of the neighbouring towns and villages and are served on marriage parties by the newlyweds after they have broken it into small pieces by a small hammer.
A further interesting habit of most of the elder locals is that while they have relatively large houses, they live in a smaller apartment, usually just a kitchen with 2 beds, which is separated from the 'large house' and is in the opposite edge of their garden.
The population of Szentistván is on the decrease, unfortunately, because some of its young inhabitants move into larger towns. Steps must be taken to keep alive the village's traditions.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, in the Mezőkövesd district of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is the name of an administrative county in north-eastern Hungary , on the border with Slovakia. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Nógrád, Heves, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. The capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county is Miskolc...
county.
Name
The village was named after the first king of Hungary, St. Stephen (Szent István in HungarianHungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
).
Location
Szentistván is in the northern part of the Great Hungarian PlainGreat Hungarian Plain
The Great Hungarian Plain is a plain occupying the southern and eastern part of Hungary, some parts of the Eastern Slovak Lowland, southwestern Ukraine, the Transcarpathian Lowland , western Romania , northern Serbia , and eastern Croatia...
, south from Highway M3. It is a rural area with little industry in the village. Most of its inhabitants work in the nearest town, Mezőkövesd
Mezokövesd
Mezőkövesd is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It lies from Miskolc and from Eger.-History:The area has been inhabited since the Great Migration. It's likely that the first Hungarian settlement was formed here shortly after the conquest of Hungary, but in 1275 in a church...
.
History
Human presence in the area can be dated back to the years 3-4000 BCE. The first written record about the village is from 1315, when a church named after King Stephen I was built there; the village itself was first mentioned by this name in 1396. During the Ottoman occupation of HungaryOttoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
the village was destroyed several times, in 1641 it was mentioned as a deserted place. It was only after the revolution led by Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
(early 18th century) that the village began to prosper. Until 1945 it was church property, belonging to the Archdiocese of Eger
Archdiocese of Eger
The Archdiocese of Eger is an archdiocese in Northern Hungary, its centre is the city of Eger.-History:* 1000: Established as Diocese of Eger* August 9, 1804: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Eger-Leadership:* Archbishops of Eger...
.
Culture
Szentistván is one of the three "matyó" settlements (MezőkövesdMezokövesd
Mezőkövesd is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It lies from Miskolc and from Eger.-History:The area has been inhabited since the Great Migration. It's likely that the first Hungarian settlement was formed here shortly after the conquest of Hungary, but in 1275 in a church...
, Szentistván, Tard
Tard, Hungary
Tard is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary.- External links :*...
). The matyó embroidery is one of the finest examples of Hungarian folk art.
The center of Matyóland is Mezőkövesd. The Matyó got their name after King Matthias
Matthias Corvinus of Hungary
Matthias Corvinus , also called the Just in folk tales, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458, at the age of 14 until his death...
, a Hungarian king in the 15th century, who gave certain rights to the town of Mezőkövesd. The Matyó people are famous for the traditional, very colorful embroidery which was developed by a local drawing artist, Bori Kisjankó.
Szentistván is known for its folk art because traditions have been kept alive by its inhabitants. Elder women in the village still make embroideries on a regular basis, in some cases for their living.
Another custom of the women is the making of huge cakes and tarts from sugar. These cakes are sold to the people of the neighbouring towns and villages and are served on marriage parties by the newlyweds after they have broken it into small pieces by a small hammer.
A further interesting habit of most of the elder locals is that while they have relatively large houses, they live in a smaller apartment, usually just a kitchen with 2 beds, which is separated from the 'large house' and is in the opposite edge of their garden.
The population of Szentistván is on the decrease, unfortunately, because some of its young inhabitants move into larger towns. Steps must be taken to keep alive the village's traditions.
Sights to see
- St. Stephen Church
- St. Stephen Spring (artesian spring)
- Village museum (in an old house built in the 1890s)