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Every symbol is a message. Our task and duty is to retain the traditions and to pass them to the new generations. For them above all the historical statuary park consisting of seventeen statues and presenting the mythological presentation (The Abduction of Europe), the statues of Saints (St. Mary, St. Benedict, St. Constantinus apostle, St. Methodus apostle, St. Theresa - Benedicta of the Cross, St. Bridget from Sweden, St. Catherine from Sienna) and also the statues of monarchs (St. Stephen, Giselle Bavarian, St. Ladislas, King Koloman Erudited, King Belo IV, Louis the Great, Sigismund of Luxembourg, Matthias Corvinus, Maria - Theresia) is being prepared. These statues represent the components subordinated to the architecture and are fully included into the architectonic expression of the of the buildings. The only exception is the statuary composition called The Abduction of Europe, which will decorate the central part of the Millennium Fountain situated in the middle of the Place and, which with its almost three metres height will become one of the most significant statues in the town.
On the bracket between the Hungarian and Slovak house the statue of Virgin Mary will be situated, patron and protector of both nations. Her cult has always played the dominant role in the big part of Europe (in Bavaria, Austria, Poland, Croatia ). The Hungary was the kingdom of Virgin Mary - „Regnum Marianum“. Statue located in Austrian Mariazell is named „Magna Mater Austriae, Magna Domina Hungarorum, Magna Mater Gentia Slavorum“. The centres of Maria's cult are also nowadays well - known pilgrimage places with Virgin Mary „ magical „ statues - e.g. the Bavarian Altötting and Passau, Bohemian Svatá Hora, Hungarian Győr and the Slovak Marianka - (which is also the oldest and most significant pilgrimage place of the historical Hungary).
The Irish House
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Litomericzky Nándor
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The Palatinus Civic Association suggested to get a place for the statuary of six European co-patrons in the Europe Place. This idea was presented by Miklós Fehér on 17th December 2000 on the occasion of visiting Komárno by Pavol Hamžík. This suggestion was welcomed by many Slovak politicians considering this solution elegant and european.
In the Singing Sea Street, on the building devoted to the Crete Island the statuary of european co-patrons will be situated as the first statuary of this kind in the whole Europe - presenting all co-patrons of the continent.
„On the threshold of the year 2000...I am very pleased to proclaim that I have chosen three new female saints as the patrons of the European continent: Saint Bridget from Sweden, Saint Catherine from Sienna and Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)“ - announced Holy Father in October 1999. So finished the Pope John Paul II the procedure he started on 31st December 1980, when side by side with St. Benedict, the patron of Europe till that time, he proclaimed the apostles Constantinus and Methodus the pioneers of evangelisation of Eastern Europe. The Byzantine missionaries influenced in a large extent the history of both Slovaks and Hungarians, the two national groups living in our town. Constantinus set up the old Slavic script - glagolica and translated several religious books into the old Slavic language. During their mission in Rome they advocated the old Slavic divine service before the Pope Hadrian II. In 861 Constantine (Cyril) and Methodus were on their mission by Khazars and they also met the ancient Hungarians in the Crym Peninsula. During a theological discussion in Venice in 867 Constantine (Cyrill) mentioned ancient Hungarians among the partially baptised nations. Methodus met them again on his way to Constantinopol, by the Lower Danube, in the period between the years 881 - 882. Their prince Arpad greeted him with the highest esteem and friendship, treated him and provided him the accommodation. The Arpad told him the following words when leaving of him : „Remember me in your blessed prayers.“
The Crete House
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Eva Dénesová
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The gates and towers of the Europe Place are named after those monarchs who played the significant role in the european history and who contributed to the development of town Komárno . Both the gate and tower are the ancient symbols as well. „The gate is the architectural symbol of the passage from one level to another. We can understand it either in space or time. It is the connecting opening for the different qualities: for known and unknown, in simplified meaning for external and internal. It separates and connects the periods. It locks out and invites in“ (György Szegő: Teremtés és átváltozás).
The gate named after the first Christian Hungarian king - Saint Stephen - can be found in the Vatican House; in the niches from the side of the Place the statues of the monarch (Stephanus Rex) and his wife Giselle Bavarian (Gisilla Regina) are situated. St. Stephen let mint the first Hungarian coins, which appear as a reliefs on the both sides of the gate. There is the copy of the Crown of Saint Stephen with the characteristic leaned cross on the top of the tower.
The Saint Ladislas´ Gate closes the Place from the side of Jókai Street, on the boundary between the historical centre of the town and the Europe Place. From the architectural point of view it is the double gate: the first entrance leads to the Place, the second to the underground shopping centre EUROPALIA under the Place. The monarch's statue, more than two meters high, was situated onto the pillar standing between the two entrances of the gate. The sculptor presented the king - knight in a robe with a sword and the hatchet, with which according to the legend he obtained water from the rock to quench thirst of his army.
The first part of the western facade
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Štefankovič József - Jakó
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The gate of Koloman Erudited (Kolomanus Rex) connects the inner yard of one of the neighbouring plots with the Place to make the surrounding yards livelier.
The Gate of King Belo IV (Bela Rex) will enable after the completion of the street the access to the yard of County House. The monarch's statue is situated on the stone pillar next to the gate. The gate decorated with the statue of Louis the Great also opens the street towards the County House. We named the tower of the Luxembourg House after the Sigismund of Luxembourg (Sigismundus Rex). The Matthias Corvinus Tower (Mathias Rex) symbolically indicates the borderline between the Europe Place and the yard of Zichy Palace. In the Southern part of the Place, opposite the Louis the Great Gate (Ludovicus Rex) the Gate of Maria Theresia gate will be situated, which leads through a staircase from the Street of the Northern Star into the Frontier Street. Hence, we can get to the underground garage of the Place, too.
The small street
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Nagy Tivadar
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The buildings created on the Place represent the following countries and regions : Island, Greenland (The Gate of Koloman Erudited), Wales, Scotland, Ireland, England (The Gate of Belo IV), Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Friesland, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Estonia (The Gate of Louis the Great), Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic (The Gate of Maria Theresia), Polland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, France, Luxembourg (The Tower of Sigismund of Luxembourg), Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Spain (view tower), Turkey, Portugal, Vatican (The Gate of Saint Stephen), Malta, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Romania, Transylvania (The Gate of Matthias Corvinus), Cyprus, Crete, Greece, Andorra (The Gate of Saint Ladislas), Monaco, Slovenia, Croatia, Dalmatia, Bosna and Hercegovina, Germany, San Marino. In the second stage of the construction the buildings representing following countries will be built: Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania.
The first part of the eastern facade of the Place
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Nagy Tivadar
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