History in Budapest: Incredible Discovery In The City Center

Uncovering the Medieval Village in Budapest

Archaeologists from the Budapest Historical Museum have unearthed the remains of a medieval village in downtown Budapest. The experts from the museum dug out a smaller, 300 m2 section near Belváros (9th district, Ráday Street), where a settlement and a cemetery that was built on its site were discovered.

After removing more than 2 meters of fill, the outlines of ditches and pits became visible: a detailed section of a medieval village that provided few artifacts but based on a few pottery shards, it ceased to be used in the 15th century. The ditches may have been used for drainage or possibly to separate enclosures, likely belonging to the nearby village of Szenterzsébet/Szentfalva, although direct traces of habitation (houses, ovens) were not found.

After the abandonment of the village section, a cemetery was established in its place, with 28 graves uncovered during the excavation – some of the rows of grave pits were dug into already filled ditches and pits.

The area adjacent to a pedestrian overpass is gradually being revitalized – greenery is being added to Flórián Square, and this is just the beginning.

Renewal Plans for Flórián Square

Flórián Square is an important element of Budapest’s central system, located in Óbuda’s city center. The southern side of District III is home to this square, which is a key transportation hub and has large green spaces. In 2017, both the City of Budapest and District III municipality held community planning sessions for the development of the square. However, these comprehensive plans can only be implemented in stages. The first step will be creating a pedestrian walkway, with construction work commencing now and tree planting expected between January 15 and February 15, 2025 under archaeological supervision. Shortly after that, renovations to the overpasses at Flórián Square will begin.

Archaeologists on Site?

The broader area around Flórián Square has been inhabited for thousands of years. Aquincum was the capital of Pannonia, a province of the Roman Empire, featuring military and civilian towns, two amphitheaters, residential buildings, and connecting aqueducts. The region later became significant as an ecclesiastical and intellectual center with impressive buildings until Turkish rule. Prior test excavations before constructing Óbuda’s city center revealed dense urban fabrics from Aquincum’s legionary camp and surrounding military town, including public baths – much of which remains unexplored. Many hidden remnants are still waiting to be uncovered – including parts of Aquincum’s civilian town – so this area is protected by archaeological laws. Consequently, any earthworks carried out in Óbuda that require digging deeper than 40 cm must be done in collaboration with Heritage Protection.

Conclusion

History is all around us, but in Budapest this is quite literal: the city has been inhabited for centuries gifting Budapest with a long and extremely rich history. However, as we can see, this abundant heritage must be protected while the city continues to evolve. Even to the point of carefully examining flower beds to avoid accidentally planting trees over valuable archaeological treasures.

Image source: BTM Vármúzeum