Veszprém: Hungary

Veszprém: Hungary
Veszprém (in Slovak Vesprím) is a city with county rights in western Hungary. It is the capital city of the administrative county (comitatus or megye) with the same name in western Hungary, north of Lake Balaton(approx. 15 km). Veszprém lies on both sides of the river Séd. The distance to Budapest is approx. 110 km (via the M7 motorway and road number . It can be reached from Győr via Road 82, from Székesfehérvár via Road 8.
History of Veszprém
According to local legend the city was founded on seven hills, like Rome. The seven hills are as follows: Várhegy (Castle Hill), Benedek-hegy (St Benedict Hill), Jeruzsálem-hegy (Jerusalem Hill), Temetőhegy (Cemetery Hill), Gulyadomb (Herd Hill), Kálvária-domb (Calvary Hill), Cserhát.
Anonymus, the notary of King Béla III wrote that a castle stood here when the Hungarians occupied the area. The castle was probably a 9th century Frank fortress. The castles of Veszprém, Esztergom and Székesfehérvár were the earliest Hungarian stone castles, they already stood during the reign of High Prince Géza, a time when motte castles were much more common.
The name of the city originates from the Slavic word Bezprym, which was originally a personal name. The city was named either for a chieftain, or for the son of Princess Judith (elder sister of St. Stephen) who settled down here after her husband, Boleslaus I of Poland expelled her and her son.
Veszprém had an important religious role. During the fight for making Christianity the official religion of Hungary, St. Stephen defeated the armies of his chief opponent Koppány nearVeszprém. The city became the first episcopal seat of Hungary in 1009 and became an archiepiscopal seat in 1993. Comitatus Veszprém was one of the earliest historical counties of Hungary.
The city of Veszprém was a favourite of Queen Gisela, the wife of St. Stephen. For centuries the queens of Hungary were crowned by the bishop of Veszprém. The city is still often called “the city of queens.�
During the Mongol invasion of Hungary Veszprém was protected by its castle which was later demolished by the order of the Habsburgs (1706).
Veszprém was among the first Hungarian cities to have an university, the students studied law and arts here. The university was destroyed by fire in 1276. Veszprém became an university town again in the 20th century.