On the top of Castle Hill in Esztergom stands the country's largest church, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Adalbert, popularly known as the Basilica of Esztergom. His status in the Roman Catholic Church is made clear to visitors by the Latin inscription on the façade: CAPUT, MATER ET MAGISTRA ECCLESIARUM HUNGARIAE, meaning:  The head, the Mother and the Master of the Hungarian Churches.

The History of the Cathedral in dates

Prehistory
1000 Coronation of Sait Stephen (Castle Hill)
1001 Foundation of the Archdiocese of Esztergom
Around 1010 the old Saint Adalbert Cathedral was consecrated
1156 The first written proof of foundation of an altar
End of the 1100 years reconstuction after a fire in the time of King III. Béla and Archbishop Jób
1256 King IV. Béla gives the Casle Hill completely to the Archdiocese of Esztergom
1330-1349 Archbishop Csanád Telegdi Csanád érsek expand and rebulids the Cathedral
In 1453, after another significant construction, Archbishop Dénes Széchi rededicates the church in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Adalbert
1507: The consrtruction of the Bakócz-chapel finishes
1543-1683 The Hill is under the occupacion of the Ottoman Empire
1761-1764 Archbishop Ferenc Barkóczy carries out demolition works on the ruins of the medieval church

The construction of the present Cathedral

1820 Archbishop Sándor Rudnay entrusts Pál Kühnel and János Packh with the preparation of new plans and the start of construction
1822. április 23. Laying of the foundation-stone
1822-23 Construction works of the Crypt in progress
1823 Dismantling and rebuilding of the Bakócz Chapel
1831 With the death of Sándor Rudnay, the construction works stop
1838 The newly named archbishop József Kopácsy continues the works
1839 The new architectis Hild József (because of the death of János Packh)
1845 A time capsule is placed in the cross of the finished dome
1847 The death of Archbishop Kopácsy
1849 The next (3rd) archbishop János Scitovszky continues the building of the Cathedral
1854 The main altarpiece is ready (The Assumption of Mary)
31st August 1856. is the date, when the Cathedral is consecrated
1867-től The new (4th) archbishop, János Simor, under the leadership of József Lippert, continues and completes the construction.
1869-1876 Construction of the eastern doorway
1886 Redesigned interior decorations are completed, the Treasury opens
Until 1896 all altars are completed
1905 In the square in front of the main gate, the statue of Our Lady of Hungary is erected