relics of Catholic martyr and saint Marko Krizin. The architect was Pál Kühnel and the lead contractor was János Packh. The foundation-stone was laid and work began in 1822. The Bakócz chapel was carefully disassembled (into about 1,600 pieces) and was moved 20 metres away from its original location and attached to the new basilica. In 1838 Packh was murdered, so József Hild was placed in charge of construction. He completed it in Classicistic style. Under the next archbishop, János Scitovszky, the upper church was completed and dedicated on August 31, 1856. The 1856 consecration ceremonies featured the premiere of the Missa solennis zur Einweihung der Basilika in Gran (Gran Mass), composed and conducted by Franz Liszt, and featuring the organist Alexander Winterberger. The final completion of the cathedral took place twelve years later in 1869. The organ The renovation and enlargement of the organ started in the 1980s, after extensive preparations, and it is currently in progress. It is supervised by István Baróti, the basilica's organist and choirmaster since 1975. As of 2008, the project is still not fully funded. The organ has five manuals and by 2006 had 85 stops working out of the planned 146. The organ contains the largest organ pipes in Hungary, 10 m, about long. The smallest pipe is 7 mm, ¼ inch (without pipe foot). When complete, it will be the third largest organ in Europe, surpassing all organs in Hungary in both volume and variety of stops. At the time of the construction in 1856, the organ was the largest in Hungary with 49 stops, 3,530 pipes and 3 manuals. The present organ preserves several stops from the instrument Liszt played. For the organ's detailed specifications, see the article in the Hungarian Wikipedia. Burials József Mindszenty Tamás Bakócz and his family Jusztinián György Serédi Alexander Rudnay Dénes Szécsi Gallery See also Dark gate Roman Catholicism in Hungary List of cathedrals in Hungary List of tallest domes References External links Official web page in multiple languages. (Click on flags in upper right.) Lego Basilica Roman Catholic cathedrals in Hungary Buildings and structures in Esztergom 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Hungary Roman Catholic churches completed in 1869 Landmarks in Hungary Church buildings with domes Tourist attractions in Komárom-Esztergom County 1869 establishments in Austria-Hungary Burial sites of the House of Austria-Este