The history of this basilica is eventful. Work on it, directed by the greatest Hungarian architects, began in the late 14C and went on until the second half of the 15C. In 1878, the basilica was destroyed by the city's great fire and it took 20 years to rebuild. The neo-Gothic bell tower dates from this period. Eleven Gothic wooden altarpieces have been preserved, forming a superb 15C-16C ensemble.