A bedazzling basilica

The building of this beautiful basilica began when its city on the Danube's banks was known simply as Pest. Spanning the latter half of the 19th century, construction on St. Stephen's Basilica pressed on as local politics transformed around it: In 1873, Pest united with Buda and Óbuda across the river to form the modern metropolis of Budapest. Soon after, the Hungarian Parliament Building was constructed in a similar classical style, equaling the basilica's 315-foot height to symbolize balance between the worldly and the spiritual. These towering twins, ornate inside and out, still dominate the Hungarian capital's low-slung skyline as the tallest non-skyscrapers in the city.