Kiscelli Day 2026

CITY WALK

→10:00 From Mariazell to Kiscell | City walk with art historian Péter Farbaky

Where does the name Little Mariazell come from? What is the connection between the Trinitarian shrine in Mariazell and the Zichy family? How did the Óbuda hill become a pilgrimage site for tens of thousands? During our city walk, we will visit the altar of the former Trinitarian monastery in Kiscell in the Óbuda Péter Pál Church and the Kiscelli shrine statue inside.

Meeting at the main entrance of the Óbuda Péter Pál Church (1036 Budapest, Lajos u. 168.)

MUSEUM WALK

→11:30 Introduction to Kiscell | Architectural history walk with art historians Péter Farbaky and Péter Rostás

We start our building walk from the laying of the foundation stone of the Baroque monastery. We set off to the crypt, which can only be visited with a guide. Upon entering the tower room, the history of the former Schmidt Castle is revealed, and as we walk along the corridors, we return to the open air from the museum's beginnings to the courtyard of the current museum.

→14:00 Kiscelli Underground | Underground building tour with art historian Péter Rostás

There is an extensive underground world under the Kiscelli Museum. The crypt of the former Trinitarian monastery, carved into the rock, the 18th-century end of which was recently excavated, as well as the deep cellar under the rock, a natural cavity that was expanded by 18th-century monks as a wine cellar, and then in the 19th century the military developed an ice pit and storage room. The approximately 400 square meter, zigzag space was converted into a bunker during World War II, some of the remains of which can still be seen today.

→17:00 Kiscelli Park - Romantic Castle Garden | Parkséta with art historian Péter Rostás

The English park of the former Schmidt Castle hides many treasures. In the romantic forest next to the Kiscelli Museum, we find a small chapel, a replica of a Baroque gate made of artificial stone, a calvary, a fallen stone statue, a hundred-year-old chestnut tree and countless other relics that were once the decorations of a carefully designed park. Our park walk presents the history of this area.

𝕋𝕣𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕧𝕖𝕫𝕖𝕥é𝕤

→15:00 Sacred Artifacts from the Kiscelli Museum Collections | POP_UP Exhibition | Guided Tour with Curator Péter Farbaky

The museum's collections contain numerous modern sacred artefacts. Most of these are related to the Catholic cult, but there are also Orthodox sacred objects among them, the most characteristic of which will be presented at the temporary exhibition of the sculpture hall, on the occasion of this year's Ars Sacra Festival.

WORKSHOP VISIT

→11:00 and 12:00 “Holy Plastics” - Sacred Objects of the Kiscelli Plastic Project | Workshop visit with restorer Antal Farkas Retkes-Kiss

What happens when new materials of the modern age enter the world of religious objects? During the program, we will explore how the culture of sacred objects meets the history of industrial plastics, mass production and the culture of pilgrimage. The workshop will also shed light on how these once modern materials age and what special challenges they pose for restorers.

𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕂𝕊ℍ𝕆P

→11:00-17:00 LETTERPRESS WORKSHOP

Silkscreen printing on a T-shirt, bag, or handmade paper using Tamás Novokreschenszkov's traveling print based on the silkscreen depicting the Madonna of Kiscelli.

→14:00-17:00 Lights in the Museum | Lantern Making Workshop

We will wander around the museum building and make lanterns inspired by its details. During the workshop, we will work with tracing paper and felt-tip pens, and the walls of the Kiscelli Museum and the outlines of Budapest's iconic buildings will come to life on the candlesticks. During our joint creation, we will discover the stories and atmosphere of the city through the play of light and drawing.

MUSIC

→12:30 Joseph Haydn: Mariazell Mass - from recording in the Church Square

Officially known as Missa Cellensis in C major, Hob. XXII:8

Composed in 1782 by Joseph Haydn, one of the most significant church music works, written in C major for solo quartet, mixed choir and orchestra. Originally intended for the Mariazell pilgrimage church in Styria, it was probably first performed in Vienna due to its size and the demands of the performers. In our accompanying screening, we will evoke the interior of the former Trinitarian church in Kiscelli.

DANCE

→16:00 Julien Klopfenstein dance performance on the Church Square: From the Dust of the Earth

Julien Klopfenstein is a French choreographer, performer and director who works with contemporary dance, site-specific performances and moving images.

The choreography dissects the themes of nature, transience, transformation and the relationship between the human body and the raw elements of the earth. Using clay, sand and stones from Hungarian mines, the performance traces the continuous transformation of the body and matter through movement.

The solo performance titled From the Dust of the Earth was created in response to the work of Hungarian artist Néma Júlia.

𝕂Öℕ𝕐𝕍𝔼𝕂! 𝕂𝕀 𝔸 ℝ𝔸𝕂𝕋Áℝ𝔹Ó𝕃!

At our discount fair, you can find catalogs of temporary exhibitions, art theory and urban history publications, monographic volumes with a 30% discount.

𝔾𝔸𝕊ℤ𝕋ℝ𝕆

Mókusch Café and Cake Workshop

With homemade pies, in every flavor combination you can think of, seasonal syrups made from all kinds of our own collection, jam